As part of the observation of Meghalaya Environment Week and Water Conservation Day, Community and Rural Development Minister Hamletson Dohling today launched the Amrit Sarovar campaign under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) and community nurseries at a programme held at Umphrew village.
Speaking at the launch programme, Dohling said that the objective of the campaign is to construct 75 water bodies in every district of the state to coincide with India’s 75 years of independence.
Every year the state, along with the rest of the world, observes June 5 as World Environment Day but this year the state government has decided on a week-long celebration to instill among the masses the need to conserve and preserve our environment, he added.
Meghalaya is blessed with abundant rainfall but water scarcity is still a problem and the government wants to promote rainwater harvesting as a solution.
Rs 450 crore has been allotted to Village Employment Councils (VECs) in the state, out of which Rs 391 crore has been released from the central government for materials.
During the programme, the minister handed over prizes and certificates to the winners of the drawing and painting competition organised by Umphrew Secondary School. Later in the day, Dohling and officials inspected the site and planted trees in the vicinity of the proposed pond.
