Himachal Dy CM lays foundation stones of drinking water, irrigation projects in Una

Una (HP), Oct 12 (PTI) The Himachal Pradesh government is taking decisive action to upgrade drinking water and irrigation facilities with an aim to provide a clean water supply to households and farmlands, Deputy Chief Minister Mukesh Agnihotri said on Sunday.

Agnihotri addressed a public gathering after inaugurating and laying the foundation stone for several water projects worth Rs 81 crore in Palakwah in Haroli subdivision, his native assembly constituency.

He said a new drinking water scheme worth Rs 175 crore is also being prepared from Bhabhaur Sahib to Polian Beet, a statement said.

He said another new irrigation scheme worth Rs 100 crore has been approved for the Haroli Assembly constituency and informed that the scheme will divide the entire area into three clusters, Tahliwal, Haroli, and Khad, to strengthen the irrigation system using modern technology.

The initiatives include a Rs 75 crore lift drinking water project under Beet Area Phase-II in Palakwah, under which water will be lifted from the Swan River and delivered to a 1.1 million-litre storage tank in the area.

From there, through a 43-km main pipeline and an 80-km long distribution system, approximately 50,000 kanals of land in 28 villages in the Beet area, including Palakwah, Karmapur, Chandpur, Nangal Khurd, and Nangal Kalan, will be irrigated, the statement said.

The deputy chief minister said under phase one, water was provided to farmers through 18 tube wells at a cost of Rs 44 crore. Through continuous efforts, the Beet area, once considered barren, has now become a stronghold of cash crops, he added.

Additionally, he also inaugurated a Rs 2.36 crore lift drinking water project at Polian Beet, a Rs 1.78 crore lift drinking water project at Laluwal, a Rs 1.02 crore lift irrigation project in Nangal Kalan, and a Rs 1.07 crore lift drinking water scheme in Batt Kalan. These schemes will provide improved drinking water facilities to approximately 10,000 people, the statement said.

The deputy chief minister said the Rs 2,000 crore Bulk Drug Park project under construction in Haroli has received environmental clearance from the Centre, and tenders worth Rs 300 crore have been opened. PTI COR BPL HIG