Lucknow: In a first, the Uttar Pradesh Government headed by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath is set to launch a novel campaign titled ‘one-tap-one-tree’ from July 1, which targets expansion of green cover along with provision of potable tap water in rural areas simultaneously.
On the instruction of the Chief Minister, the campaign is being launched jointly by the Namami Gange Programme and Rural Water Supply Department. Under the ‘Har-Ghar-Jal’ scheme, each beneficiary will be provided a sapling along with tap connection in the state.
The Yogi government has set the target of planting 5 lakh saplings within a week of the launch of the campaign as part of the larger mission to have a green future for the state, while providing people safe drinking water to safeguard their health.
These saplings will be planted by officials and employees of the Namami Gange and Rural Water Supply departments outside the homes of households receiving tap connections, on overhead tanks, at pump houses as well as at water treatment plants.
Notably, Uttar Pradesh has the distinction of providing the maximum tap connections under ‘Har Ghar Jal’ scheme among states in the country. Every day, 40,000 to 42000 new connections are being provided to families in rural areas of UP.
Anurag Srivastava, Principal Secretary, Namami Gange and the Rural Water Supply Department chaired a meeting and directed officials to conduct a plantation drive on a massive scale between July 1 and 7.
Plantation will be carried out by Jal Samitis and other organizations
The Jal Samitis and other organizations have been entrusted with the task of carrying out plantation drives at district, block and Gram Panchayat levels. Members of the organizations will conduct environment based programmes and spread awareness among villagers regarding saving the environment and water.
They will educate people about the diseases caused by contaminated water and methods of prevention, as well as raise awareness about techniques to conserve rainwater. Plantation will be carried out in villages, water overhead tanks in blocks, panchayat campuses and water treatment plants.
Jal-Shakti Minister Swatantra Dev Singh stated that the Yogi government does not only pay attention the present, but is equally concerned about the future and the campaign bears testimony to this. He added that the initiative will ensure that “our future generations have access to clean drinking water and can breathe in a clean environment.”
