OOTY, AUG 31:
Rajya Sabha MP Tai Tagak is participating in the Study Visit Programme of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Water Resources to Tamil Nadu and Karnataka from August 29 under the chairmanship of Rajiv Pratap Rudy.
A 21-member team comprising MPs from the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha is visiting project areas and holding discussions with representatives of various water resource and allied agencies, including the Water Resources Department (WRD), Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM), Forest and Environment departments, Central Water Commission (CWC), WAPCOS/NPCC, district administration, National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) and police.
The programme focuses on dam management, water conservation, flood management, river basin management, groundwater management, biodiversity and disaster management.
The first day of the Tamil Nadu leg of the programme was held at Gem Park in Ooty on Monday, where the committee interacted with state representatives on a range of water resource issues.
Discussions covered the implementation of the Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY)–Accelerated Irrigation Benefits Programme (AIBP) and PMKSY–Har Khet Ko Pani (HKKP)–Repair, Renovation and Restoration (RRR) schemes in Tamil Nadu, including the use of SCADA systems for equitable water distribution and sustainable resource management.
The committee also reviewed the institutional role, operational performance, technical consultancy framework and project execution mechanisms of WAPCOS/NPCC in planning, designing, implementing and monitoring water infrastructure and allied projects in the state.
Other key areas of review included the status of groundwater resources, depletion and contamination, water security and flood management strategies, particularly in the Nilgiris, and the sustainability of water resources amid climate change, variations in rainfall and temperature, population growth and increasing tourist influx.
Representatives of the WRD Tamil Nadu, WAPCOS/NPCC, NDRF and SDRF made presentations before the committee.
The committee also undertook local visits to the Charmraj Tea Estate and factory and a strawberry garden in Ooty. The study visit will continue on Tuesday.
