‘Waterman’ Rajendra Singh to guide Sudhir Mungantiwar over water use

Riding on the success of the tree plantation drive, finance minister Sudhir Mungantiwar will launch another ambitious project aimed at creating awareness about water use. Under the guidance of ‘Waterman’ Dr Rajendra Singh, Mr Mungantiwar will appoint 28,000 Jal Sevaks or Water Men who will work in an honorary capacity. As part of the programme, water awareness schools will be set up at three centres across the state.

Mr Mungantiwar said that he had assured during his budget speech that he would establish water awareness schools in the state. “According to the assurance given in the house, I have decided to set up three water awareness centres; one each in the Aurgangabad, Amravati and Nagpur divisions,” he said. The centres will be located at Water and Land Management Institute (WALMI), Aurangabad; Dr Panjabrao Deshmukh Vidarbha Administrative and Development Prabodhini, Amravati; and Forest Administration Development and Management Prabodhini, Chandrapur.

Stressing on the need for water awareness, the minister said that having experienced acute water scarcity across Marathwada, supplying adequate drinking water was a challenge and using water systematically and with care the need of the hour. “Hence, we will appoint Jal Nayak (Water Hero), Jal Karmi (Water Worker), and Jal Sevak (Water Man),” he said. There will be a total 4,624 Jal Nayaks, including 24 at state level, 48 at division level, 340 at district level, and 4,212 at taluka level. Jal Sevaks will be selected with the consent of the Gram Sabha and will work without any remuneration. Mr Mungantiwar added that hundreds of Jal Sevaks had already approached them and shown interest in working with them.

Dr Singh, who is working with the Maharashtra government, has come up with the idea of water awareness centres.