Workshop on rural water quality monitoring being held in the capital

angtok: Three-day Workshop on National Rural Drinking Water Quality Monitoring and Surveillance Programme for eastern states Sikkim, Assam, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Arunachal Pradesh, West Bengal, Tripura and Orissa, was inaugurated here at Hotel Himalayan Heights by Secretary, Rural Management Development Department (RMDD), Mr. Anil Ganeriwala on Tuesday, March 23.

The workshop organized by Key Resource Center, Uttarakhand Academy of Administration, Nainital, and supported by RMDD, Sikkim, is sponsored by Department of Drinking Water Supply, Ministry of Rural Development, Government of India. Director, Indian Institute of Public Health, Dr. Anurabha Majumdar, training incharge, Academy of Administration, Nainital, Mr. JP Shukla and Mr. Vinod Kumar Mishra are the resource persons to train the members of different NGOs participating in the workshop.

In his inaugural address Mr. Ganeriwala said, “Out of total 26 blocks of Sikkim, 9 are drought prone having severe problem of water scarcity. As a hilly region, the state has another problem of unavailability of ground water with total dependency on spring water sources”.

“With the implementation of Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Scheme (MNREGA)”, he said, a programme has been launched based on source development called “Dhara Vikash” which envisages development of spring water sources. “We also have a problem of bacterial contamination of water which is considered as the greatest threat. Two water testing laboratories are being set up at Karfectar, Jorethang for South and West district and at Tadong for East and North district”, the Secretary informed.

He thanked Chief Minister Dr. Pawan Chamling for his support and guidance and said, “we want to make rural water availability 100% pure and have installed Electro-clorinator and Terra-filter technology, two new technologies”. Mr. VK Mishra said, “Our objective is to ensure availability of totally safe and pure drinking water.”

Source: Sikkim Reporter