Gurugram, May 24 -- Haryana's environment, forest and wildlife, and industries minister Rao Narbir Singh has appealed to farmers in Farrukhnagar and Pataudi to join the state government's renewed push for water conservation. Under a key initiative, treated waste water from Gurugram's sewage treatment plants (STPs) will soon be supplied to nearly 30 villages for agricultural and horticultural use. After inspecting the STP channel that runs from Gurugram to Jhajjar, Singh emphasised that treated water can offer farmers a sustainable alternative to depleting groundwater resources. "The government is making every effort to conserve water, and farmers play a vital role in this. We aim to build awareness around groundwater depletion and demonstrate how treated STP water can be used for irrigation," he said. Singh added that he will meet local farmers next week to encourage their participation in this crucial campaign. Currently, around 75mld (million litres per day) of treated water from the Dhanwapur STP is discharged into the Gurugram-Jhajjar channel, which has a total capacity of 500mld. Farmers in Jhajjar are already using this water for irrigation, proving its viability. The Dhanwapur plant has a total treatment capacity of 218mld, and with improved utilisation, much of this water can be redirected for productive agricultural use across Gurugram's rural belts. Taking aim at the construction sector's misuse of groundwater, Singh instructed the Haryana State Pollution Control Board (HSPCB) to strictly enforce the use of treated STP water at all building sites. "The use of groundwater for construction must stop immediately. This practice is putting enormous pressure on already scarce water resources," he said. The minister highlighted that many builders have installed on-site STPs but fail to operate or maintain them. "We are launching a crackdown on such violations. Inspections will be conducted at project sites, and any builder found flouting norms will face penalties," he added. He mentioned that the HSPCB has been instructed to monitor all discharge points and take swift action against violations. To reinforce this, Singh said he would inspect the Badshahpur drain in Gurugram next week - a known contributor to water pollution in the region....