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Rural scheme taps water security for El Niño fears
7 Jul
Summary
- New rural scheme prioritizes water security with 107 out of 318 works focused on this.
- Scheme allows projects for disaster mitigation like droughts and floods.
- Focus areas include infrastructure, livelihoods, and disaster mitigation.
A new rural employment scheme, VB-G RAM G, rolled out on July 1, places a significant emphasis on strengthening village water security. The interim list of permissible works allocates 107 out of 318 to address water security, a crucial measure in anticipation of potential El Niño-induced rain deficiencies.
Recognizing climate change challenges, the scheme empowers gram panchayats to undertake projects for disaster mitigation. This includes preparing for and responding to situations like droughts and floods, with the possibility of adding more related works to the framework.
The VB-G RAM G scheme's framework identifies three main thematic focus areas: core rural infrastructure, rural livelihoods, and disaster mitigation. The 318 permissible works are distributed with 88, 86, and 37 works respectively in these categories.
Innovative additions to the scheme include works under 'livelihood related infrastructure,' such as cold storage facilities, skilling centers, and agricultural produce processing units. Additionally, special works for extreme weather events and disaster preparedness, like embankments, flood diversion channels, and forest fire management, have been introduced.
