Bihar Government's New Decision regarding Water Conservation

• 28 Mar 2023

Why in News?

According to the information received from the media on March 26, 2023, to increase the groundwater level in the premises of 2865 Government Girls Secondary and Higher Secondary Schools of Bihar, the Education Department has decided to give an amount of Rs 20.80 crore to 2865 schools.

Key Points

• The State Education Department has decided that under the 'Jan-Jeevan-Hariyali Abhiyan', the rainwater in the school premises will be saved as groundwater through a rainwater harvesting system. Keeping the groundwater balanced through rainwater harvesting, the school hand pump-tube well will always be kept, so that the girls do not have to leave the school premises for drinking water.
• Apart from drinking water in schools, the availability of proper water will also ensure the cleanliness of toilets.
• The Bihar Education Project has prepared an estimate and decided that out of Rs 20.80 crore, each school will be given Rs 80,000. With this amount, physical infrastructure for rainwater harvesting will be created.
• 2865 such schools are to be selected for rainwater harvesting, where at least three thousand square feet of land is available for the construction of the physical structure.
• Before spending this amount, it will be ensured that there is no duplication of the scheme and waste of funds in any way. The utilization certificate of the amount spent will have to be made available to the Bihar Education Project.
• Apart from this, monitoring of this work at the school level will be done by the concerned school committee, District Education Officer, Bihar Education Project Director, and Secondary Director.
• The Urban Development and Housing Department has set a target of renovating around 2800 public wells, ponds, and puddles in the next two years, i.e. by 2024-25. Along with this, preparations are also being made to make about two thousand soakers near the public fountain. Regarding this, in the current financial year 2022-23, the department has given administrative approval for a total plan of more than Rs 62.93 crore for 38 municipal bodies under Jal-Jeevan-Hariyali.
• According to the information received from the Urban Development Department, the department has set a target of renovating 618 public wells in 2023-24 and 551 in 2024-25. Similarly, in these two years, 365 and 318 ponds and ponds will be renovated respectively while 650 and 632 soakers will be made.
• Apart from this, the department has also decided to get rainwater harvesting work done in about 183 buildings owned by the civic body. The process of marking the area is going on for this.
• In order to encourage 'Jal-Jeevan-Hariyali Abhiyan', the department has made it mandatory to arrange rainwater harvesting systems in buildings constructed on all types of plots or under construction in building by-laws.
• Along with this, under the Bihar Municipal Property Tax Rules, 2013, a provision has been made for the exemption of five percent in the holding tax for the plots constructed for rainwater harvesting.