Mumbai: In the backdrop of severe drought in Maharashtra, the state government has given priority to completing irrigation projects. For FY 2019-20, a provision of Rs 12,597 crore has been made for the water resources department.
A substantial provision of Rs 2,720 crore has been made for the Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchai Yojana, under which, the government has included 26 incomplete irrigation projects. The Centre will provide Rs 3,138 crore out of the total project cost of Rs 22,398 crore. The scheme will help generate additional irrigation facility of 5,56,000 hectare and 47 tmc water storage.
Five irrigation projects have been completed by March 2019 and five more will be completed by June 2019. The remaining irrigation projects will be completed by December 2020. Plans are afoot to complete the Gosikhurd National Project by December 2021.
To ensure adequate irrigation for farms, the government has allocated Rs 12,597 crore for the “Irrigation through Piped Distribution Network”. In comparison to open canals, where land acquisition is essential for the construction of canals, irrigation through piped distribution network helps save land acquisition cost.
“In the open canal system, nearly 30 per cent of the water is lost due to vapourisation. But the piped distribution system not only saves project cost, but also water,” said finance minister Sudhir Mungantiwar. Pipeline distribution system works have been proposed on 6.5 lakh hectares under 109 irrigation projects, out of which, works on 59,412 hectares have been completed and works on 1,97,000 hectares are in progress.
The Baliraja Jal Sanjivani Yojana, backed by the Centre, has been started for the time-bound completion of irrigation projects in Maharashtra.
This scheme covers 83 minor irrigation projects, three major and medium projects in Vidarbha and Marathwada regions
