Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Tuesday underscored impact of climate change causing eratic rainfall in the state and stressed on water conservation and afforestation to deal with the situation.
He was addressing a public meeting at Rangmanch Maidan near Mundeshwari temple in Kaimur district.
The cm inaugurated and laid foundation stone of 606 various development schemes worth Rs 668.97 crore during the "Jagrukta Sammelan" under "Jal-Jiwan-Hariyali" drive in order to create awareness about water conservation and afforestation.
"The state used to receive an average annual rainfall of 1200-1500 mm. It has reached to 1027 mm in past 30 years and if we study the rainfall of past 13 years, the average rainfall has been reported at 901 mm.
"Sometimes we witness untimely rain, sometimes high amount of rainfall while sometimes there is a drought like situation," an official release said quoting Kumar.
Stating that the state's green coverage was left at nine per cent after its bifurcation (leading to creation of Jharkhand state in 2000), Kumar said this has increased to 15 per cent following Hariyali Mission programme under which 19 crore saplings have been planted in the state.
Kumar said the government has set a target of planting eight crore additional saplings in the next three years in order to further increase the state's green coverage area.
Some crops have been damaged, including that in Kaimur, following rainfall in the state witnessed two-three days back, the CM said.
Stating that state government will give all possible help to those who suffered losses due to crop damage, Kumar said Patna divisional Commissioner Sanjay Kumar Agarwal, who is also the OSD of Disaster Management Department, has been asked to prepare loss to the crops on this account.
Kaimur district comes under Patna division.
"We believe that victims of disasters have the first right over the state's exchequer," he said while explaining as how his government helped people during floods or drought or in the event of any disasters.
The Jal-Jiwan-Hariyali drive, which was envisaged in the backdrop of climate change will be undertaken across the state.
A sum of Rs 24,500 crore would be spent in the next three years to undertake various schemes and programmes to improve the climate change situation, the CM said adding it would be carried out in a "mission mode".
CM exhorted people especially women to show their commitment by participating in a "human chain" which will be formed on January 19, 2020 across the state in support of prohibition and on climate change issue.
The programme is also against the practise of dowry and child marriage.
The state government has made power connection available to every households and now piped drinking water under "Har Ghar Nal Ka Jal" as part of seven resolves of good governance will be made available by the next August.
Announcing that the process of tender for construction of rope-way to reach Maa Mundeshwari temple has been completed, Kumar asked Chief Secretary Deepak Kumar to complete the work expeditiously.
Transport minister Santosh Kumar Nirala, mines and geology minister Brij Kishore Bind, Chief Secretary Deepak Kumar and Director General of Police (DGP) Gupteshwar Pandey were among those who addressed the function.
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