Jharkhand’s MGNREGA team praised Chhattisgarh’s ‘Narva Development Program (NDP)
Raipur, 12 September 2023 .
An innovative initiative of the Chhattisgarh Government, the Narva Development Program (NDP), has received appreciation from senior officials of Jharkhand while inspecting groundwater treatment-related work in Chhattisgarh. In consonance with the vision of Chief Minister Mr. Bhupesh Baghel and under the guidance of Forest Minister Mr. Mohammad Akbar, a significant number of Narva Development projects for groundwater treatment are being carried out in the remote forest areas under the CAMPA scheme.
Principal Chief Conservator of Forest, Mr. V Shrinivas Rao, informed that the team of senior officials from Jharkhand, associated with ‘MGNREGA,’ conducted an inspection in the Lodam Beat of the Jashpur forest area. They take a tour of Narva Jamjharia Canal which was constructed at a cost of Rs. 1 crore 35 lakh for soil treatment and conservation. Mr. Jitendra Upadhyay, the Divisional Forest Officer of Jashpur, briefed the Jharkhand team on all the technical aspects of construction related to soil conservation. The Jharkhand team appreciated the well-planned construction of the soil conservation structure and the aspects related to its size, shape, and water flow during their inspection. The soil conservation structure is approximately 3 metres deep and 800 metres long and has water flowing through it.
Furthermore, the inspection team engaged in discussions with local farmers. Local farmers reported that due to the construction of the dam, approximately 100 farmers from the four surrounding villages have been provided with employment for 4 to 5 months. Additionally, about 20 acres of land have become available for double-cropping due to the availability of water, which has greatly benefited the villagers. Simultaneously, there has been a surge in enthusiasm for forest protection among villagers, and their participation has increased significantly. In July, the Forest Management Committee released fish seeds into the dam, which can serve as an additional source of income. The total catchment area of the Jamjhariya Canal is 760 hectares.
After the inspection of the Jamjharia Canal, the inspection team also examined the tree plantation work along the roadside under the ‘MGNREGA’ scheme. The team praised the initiative after observing the protection of plants and bamboo tree guards. Under the ‘MGNREGA’ scheme, the inspection team also visited the Balachhapar nursery in the Jashpur region, where fruit and flowering plants, as well as medicinal plants, are being cultivated. The inspection team praised the quality and maintenance of the plants.
It’s worth noting that a visit to Jashpur Forest Division was conducted by senior officials from the Jharkhand Government on Monday, September 11, 2023. The team included Mr. Chandrashekhar, Secretary of the Department of Panchayat & Rural Development; Mr. Siddharth Tripathi, Chief Conservator of Forests, Research, Department of Forest, Environment, and Climate Change; Mrs. Rajeshwari B, Commissioner of MGNREGA; Mr. Rajiv Ranjan, State Program Officer of MGNREGA; Mr. Nihar Ranjan, State Program Officer of MGNREGA; and Mr. Prem Shekhar Gupta, Assistant Engineer of MGNREGA. They visited Jashpur Forest Division in Chhattisgarh to assess the work under the MGNREGA and Narva Development Program. Upon their arrival in the state, they were welcomed by Mr. Ravi Mittal, the Collector of Jashpur; Mr. Jitendra Kumar Upadhyay, the Divisional Forest Officer of Jashpur; and Mr. Sambit Mishra, Chief Executive Officer of the District Panchayat.
