NITI Aayog meeting: Uttarakhand calls for national level plan to tackle drainage problems
Uttarakhand Chief Minister
Pushkar Singh Dhami
on Saturday said drainage issues in cities have become a major challenge due to rapid urbanisation in his state and called for formulation of a special plan at the national level to address the problem. Speaking at the 10th Governing Council Meeting of
NITI Aayog
chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Dhami also requested for the inclusion of lift irrigation in the guidelines of the '
PM Krishi Sinchayee Yojana
', a statement released by the chief minister's office here said.
The chief minister "highlighted" that due to Uttarakhand's unique geographical conditions, currently only about 10 per cent of the mountainous area is irrigated, it said.
Dhami informed that special efforts were being made in Uttarakhand to conserve rainwater by connecting glacier-fed rivers with rain-fed rivers under the 'River Linking Project' and constructing check dams and small reservoirs, it added.
by Taboola
by Taboola
Sponsored Links
Sponsored Links
Promoted Links
Promoted Links
You May Like
Bo Derek's Probably The Most Gorgeous 68-Year-Old.
Paperela
Undo
"He (Dhami) stated that due to rapid urbanisation in the state, drainage issues in cities have become a serious challenge. He requested that a special plan be formulated at the national level to develop a sustainable
urban drainage system
to address this problem." the statement said.
At the meeting, Dhami said that in 2026, Uttarakhand will host the famous "Maa Nanda Raj Jat Yatra", also known as the Mountain Mahakumbh. In 2027, the Kumbh Mela will be held in Haridwar, and asked for the support to make both these events a "grand and divine" success.
Live Events
He also emphasised the importance of the country's "demographic dividend" in building a developed India and said it's necessary to harness this dividend "within a limited timeframe".
The coming ten years are "extremely crucial" for Uttarakhand to fully benefit from this advantage, Dhami said, adding that keeping this in mind, his government has put special focus on promoting self-employment at various levels in the state.
The chief minister underlined that under the "dynamic leadership" of the prime minister, India is moving rapidly towards becoming a developed and self-reliant nation by 2047.
"In this mission, the Uttarakhand government is also working with full determination while maintaining sound financial management and fiscal discipline," he said.
In the last three years, the state economy has grown by approximately 1.5 times, he added.
Dhami said that a comprehensive policy has been formulated and implemented by his government in Uttarakhand at the grassroots level to promote adventure tourism, eco-tourism, and high-end tourism in the state.
Uttarakhand is focusing on sustainable and inclusive development based on innovation and technology, he said.
A
geothermal energy policy
will soon be implemented in the state, the chief minister said.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
37 minutes ago
- Time of India
Germany to boost military by up to 60,000 troops under new NATO targets
Germany will need up to 60,000 additional troops under new NATO targets for weapons and personnel, Defence Minister Boris Pistorius said on Thursday, as the alliance beefs up its forces to respond to what it sees as an increased threat by Russia. "We are stepping up to our responsibility as Europe's largest economy," the minister told reporters ahead of a meeting with his NATO counterparts in Brussels that was set to approve the new targets. The fresh demands are tailored to the alliance's defence plans, thousands of pages of secret documents drawn up for the first time since the end of the Cold War, that detail how allied forces would respond to a Russian attack on NATO. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Fastest Selling Plots of Mysore from 40L | 40+ Amenities PurpleBrick Learn More Undo Translating these plans into the military tools needed, NATO found severe shortfalls in various areas - ranging from large formations of combat-ready ground troops to long-range weapons, sufficient ammunition stockpiles and secure communications. Pointing to the secret nature of the targets, NATO chief Mark Rutte only gave a rough outline of the gaps the alliance seeks to plug. Live Events "We have to invest in our air defence systems, we have to invest in our long-range missiles, we have to invest in our maneuverable land-formations, command and control systems - all of this has to happen," he told reporters, adding that all this would require huge investments. HUGE CHALLENGE FOR BERLIN In total, the Bundeswehr, Germany's armed forces, will need roughly 50,000 to 60,000 additional active soldiers over all branches of the military, according to Pistorius, which would put the future strength of the German forces at between 250,000 and 260,000 troops. Last week, Reuters reported that NATO will ask Germany to provide seven more army brigades alone, or some 40,000 troops. Sources, who all spoke on condition of anonymity, put the target for the total number of brigades that NATO allies will have to provide in future to between 120 and 130. Recruiting tens of thousands of extra troops will be a big challenge for Berlin, however, and likely spark a fresh debate on whether conscription - suspended in 2011 - should be reintroduced. The Bundeswehr has not yet met a target of 203,000 troops set in 2018, and is currently short-staffed by some 20,000 regular troops, according to defence ministry data. Pistorius said the government would be faced with the question whether the voluntary military service it aims to introduce will be sufficient to fill the Bundeswehr's ranks. Still, he warned that the military currently could not absorb a bigger number of conscripts due to a lack of barracks and trainers. "Until we have such capacities, we'll have a voluntary service - and maybe beyond that if we are an attractive employer and win enough young men and women for the military who agree to serve for a longer time." In a major shift, Germany recently loosened its debt brake to enable a surge in defence and backed Rutte's plan to hike NATO's spending target to 5% of GDP.
Time of India
42 minutes ago
- Time of India
'There's nothing there in the file': Did Jeffrey Epstein die by suicide? What FBI deputy said
The rumours around Jeffrey Epstein 's death have finally come to a full stop as FBI deputy director Dan Bongino gave some insightful information on this. In an interview with Fox News, Bongino confirmed on Wednesday that Jeffrey Epstein died by suicide and there could be no other cause that was possible. Regarding the Epstein investigation, Bongino explained that surveillance footage, though not of optimal quality, documented the final hours. "The video does show in that specific block, that he goes in, made a phone call; you'll see 12 hours of guards going in basically check on him, come back. You'll see nobody really comes out of that bay in that area than him. There's no one in there." "There's nothing there in the file at all that indicates anything other than in fact a suicide," Bongino added. The American financier passed away in 2019 while facing sex trafficking charges. Bongino outlined the FBI's renewed focus on various investigations, including the origins of COVID-19. He stated firmly that the public would receive answers about the pandemic's beginnings, noting "I ordered that case immediately to be looked into again. We have a great investigator on it." Discussing the Mar-a-Lago raid, Bongino indicated significant findings: "We found some troubling, really troubling items in there that we actioned immediately, to say the least." by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Giao dịch vàng CFDs với mức chênh lệch giá thấp nhất IC Markets Đăng ký Undo He acknowledged apparent differences in how classified documents cases involving Hillary Clinton and former President Joe Biden were handled. The Deputy Director confirmed ongoing investigations into several high-profile matters, including the discovery of cocaine at the White House in 2023, the 2022 Dobbs decision leak, actions against pro-life protesters, and the handling of parents at school board meetings. Emphasising the significance of these investigations, Bongino stated: "I get a kick out of it on social media. People are like, 'this case isn't a big deal. I don't care.' Well, I don't care that you don't care. I care." He particularly stressed the importance of resolving the White House cocaine incident, committing to finding answers with his team.
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
Egypt vows to protect historic monastery amid land dispute
AP image Egypt's Foreign Minister Badr Abdelaaty has told his Greek counterpart Giorgos Gerapetritis that the sovereignty of Saint Catherine's Monastery is assured. Gerapetritis travelled to Cairo on Wednesday to discuss Saint Catherine's after an Egyptian court ruling sparked alarm among Orthodox Christian leaders over the fate of the historic monastery. Greek Orthodox patriarchates in Jerusalem, Istanbul and Athens feared that the land the monastery sits on could be confiscated by the state after the court last week rejected the monastery's ownership claims to it. The court ruled that the monastery sits on public land but affirmed the monks' right to use the monastery and the religious sites in the area. "The ruling affirmed the continued permission for the monastery's monks to benefit from it and from the religious and archaeological areas in the region," the Egyptian Foreign Ministry said in a statement released on Wednesday. Greece concerned over court ruling During Wednesday's meeting, Abdelatty told Gerapetritis the court ruling does not affect the site and that it "preserves the monastery's esteemed spiritual value and religious standing." That's according to a statement from Egypt's foreign ministry. Greece's Gerapetritis said he and Abdelatty had agreed to work "to protect the monastery's rights and legal status" going forward. Speaking in a televised address, he added that both Egypt and Greece wished "to move forward on the basis of the monastery's established traditions and enduring value as a place of Greek Orthodox worship." by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Keep Your Home Efficient with This Plug-In elecTrick - Save upto 80% on Power Bill Learn More Undo Why is Saint Catherine's Monastery so important? Established in the sixth century at the base of Mount Sinai, Saint Catherine's Monastery holds immense religious and historical significance. It is the world's oldest continually inhabited Christian monastery and holds an large and important collection of rare and ancient manuscripts. It is also said to house the biblical burning bush from which God first revealed himself to Moses. According to Egypt Independent, an English-language news site, the crisis concerning the monastery began months ago. It said rumors had been circulating on social media since last year that the regional South Sinai governate threatened to evacuate the monastery.
