Minister for Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Shivraj Singh Chouhan and Jal Shakti Minister C R Patil jointly launched the National Initiative on Water Security in New Delhi.
Speaking at the launch, Mr Chouhan said that a fixed portion of funds will now be mandatorily spent on water conservation works under MGNREGA. He also added that 65 per cent of MGNREGA funds will be allocated for water-related works in over-exploited and critical rural blocks, while 40 per cent of funds will be spent on water conservation in semi-critical rural blocks. The Minister also noted that the initiative will benefit future generations, livestock, wildlife, the environment, and agriculture.
Highlighting the importance of this initiative, the Jal Shakti Minister said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has always given water conservation the highest priority. He further said that this decision will prove vital for water security and rural development.
