Thiruvananthapuram, Jun 25 (PTI) The Kerala government on Wednesday approved a new River Basin Conservation and Management Framework aimed at enhancing the efficiency of water resource management across the state.
The decision was taken at a cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, a statement from the CMO said here.
The framework is designed to strengthen the planning, monitoring, and coordination of water-related activities across multiple levels of government.
It also aims to promote better utilisation of resources and stricter oversight.
An apex committee, headed by the chief minister, will oversee the implementation of the policy. The committee will include ministers from departments such as Water Resources, Revenue, Law and Industries, Electricity, Forests and Wildlife, Finance, Local Self-Government, Agriculture, Environment, Fisheries, Public Works, and Tourism, the statement added.
The Vice Chairman of the State Planning Board and the Chief Secretary will also be part of the committee. The Additional Chief Secretary of the Water Resources Department will serve as the convenor.
Separate steering and technical committees will be headed by the Chief Secretary and the Additional Chief Secretary (Water Resources), respectively.
At the river basin level, the Collector of the district with the largest river basin area will lead the local committee, while Collectors of other districts within the basin will serve as co-chairs, the statement said.