Haryana chief minister Nayab Singh Saini on Saturday asked the irrigation department to form farmer groups and construct community tanks for every 10 acres or more of agricultural land to ensure that adequate water reaches every field.The CM said that the irrigation department will initiate tenders to convert entire village agricultural land into micro-irrigation systems in the selected nine districts, involving modern agri-technology companies. (HT Photo)Saini said these tanks will be filled with canal water, and irrigation will be carried out through micro-irrigation systems. “The government will provide an 85% subsidy for the construction of such tanks,” Saini said.The CM, who chaired a review meeting regarding the five-year action plan under Haryana Vision-2047, said that the irrigation department must move beyond traditional irrigation systems. “In line with the concept of “Per Drop – More Crop” slogan of Prime Minister, the department must prepare future-ready plans aligned with developed countries that efficiently manage limited water resources, in order to achieve the goals of Viksit Bharat-2047,’’ he said.Saini said that the cost of irrigation for farmers will be minimised, and under the new system, farmers will not need to install tube wells for irrigation. “This initiative should initially be implemented in nine districts of Bhiwani, Charkhi Dadri, Gurugram, Mahendragarh, Nuh, Rewari, Hisar, Jhajjar and Sirsa,” he said.The CM said that the irrigation department will initiate tenders to convert entire village agricultural land into micro-irrigation systems in the selected nine districts, involving modern agri-technology companies. “This will enable farmers to receive irrigation water in a smart and efficient manner without additional expenditure,” he said.Saini also directed the public health engineering department to prepare a time-bound five-year action plan to ensure the provision of clean drinking water and sewerage facilities up to every household. He also reviewed the status of water supply and sewerage infrastructure in urban and rural areas, including 100-square-yard plots allotted by the government and newly approved colonies.Commissioner and secretary, public health engineering, J Ganesan presented the five-year roadmap, outlining proposals for strengthening water supply systems, expanding sewerage networks, reusing treated wastewater, centralised monitoring of sewage treatment plants (STPs), and deploying AI-based grievance analysis systems.Saini directed officials to prepare a plan for setting up water treatment plants for every 5,000 population, ensuring canal-based supply to all waterworks. He also emphasised prioritising drinking water, sewerage, power, and road infrastructure in regularised colonies and allotted plots.Calling for development of smart cities with 24x7 water supply, he suggested pilot implementation in select cities such as Gurugram, where 100% of households have metered water connections. He also directed minimising water loss by transporting canal water to treatment facilities through pipelines.