The State Government has fixed the sowing target in 48 lakh hectares of land during the Kharif season 2017, officials informed.
Paddy will be sown in 37.50 lakh hectares and maize will be sown in 2.25 lakh hectares.
Similarly, Tuar will be sown in 1.05 lakh hectares while soyabean will be sown in 1.4 lakh hectares.
Besides, pulses and oil seeds, area under cultivation has been fixed for vegetables.
Officials informed that plan has been made for distribution of 48 lakh quintal standards seeds in the State. Out of which, 6.72 lakh quintal seeds of paddy will be distributed. Similarly, 6,735 quintal maize, 6425 quintal Tuar, 48,100 quintal Soyabean seeds will be distributed and the same have been stored.
Notably, under the Saur Sujala Yojana that was launched last year in November the State Government is also targetting to install around 11,300 solar powered irrigation pumps in the first phase out of which 8,741 have already been distributed to farmers, officials informed.
During the second and third phase of the scheme installation of around 20,000 solar pumps in each phase has been targetted , they informed.
Notably, CREDA will also develop an elaborate water distribution network for its solar community irrigation projects in 29 locations of the State, officials informed.
The key districts where the solar community irrigation projects had been focussed are-Gariaband, Dhamtari, Kabirdham, Mahasamund, Raigarh, Janjgir-Champa, Jashpur and Sukma.
The Central Electricity Authority (CEA) has fixed thermal power generation target of 1619 million units (MU) in May 2017 for the power plants owned by Chhattisgarh State Power Generation Company ltd (CSPGCl), according to the latest CEA data. The CSPGCl generates power from its DSPM TPS, Korba II, Korba III,Korba West TPS, Marwa TPS.
CEA had fixed monthly power generation target of 1,590 Million Units (MU) for April 2017 for five power stations of CSPGCl.
Notably , Chhattisgarh will procure additional power from renewable energy sources to the tune of approximately 700 MW by FY 2018, officials informed.
With this the average power purchase cost for Chhattisgarh State Power Distribution Company ltd (CSPDCl) based on the above power availability will increase from 2.58 Rs/kWh in FY 2015-16 to 3.12 Rs/kWh in FY 2018, they informed.
The rates have been derived based on cost of power at existing rates and considering no escalation in power purchase cost since it is passing through for the distribution company.
Notably, the state-owned Chhattisgarh State Power Distribution Company ltd (CSPDCl) in January last year had also announced that it will be purchasing 50 MW of electricity from bio-mass power producers in the State.
The company would sign a 20-year agreement with the power producers, officials stated.
Chhattisgarh is among the leading States for implementing bio-mass power projects such as Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and Tamil Nadu, according to Union Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE).
Chhattisgarh had biomass projects generating a total of 249 MW of power as on March 31, 2015. The Chhattisgarh Government has also signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with NABARD with the latter agreeing to provide loan worth nearly Rs 715 crore for completion of three incomplete major irrigation schemes under Prime Minister Agriculture Irrigation Scheme.
These schemes include-- Kelo Major Irrigation Project, Kharang Canal lining Project and Maniyari Canal lining, which are to be completed by year 2019 to meet the target. The completion of these projects will expand irrigation facility in 47,685 hectares, officials informed.
Officials of Water Resources Department informed on the occasion that Central Government has included 99 important schemes in Prime Minister Agriculture Irrigation Scheme, which includes three big projects of Chhattisgarh.
All these three projects are on the verge of completion. 99% of the works under these projects has been completed, remaining construction works will also be completed soon.
Notably, Chhattisgarh is also among 13 States which had been mentioned in the Economic Survey report 2015-16 as a success story on use of drip irrigation by farmers on their lands.
The results from an impact evaluation of National Mission on Micro Irrigation of the Union Ministry of Agriculture conducted in 64 districts of 13 States mainly — Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Haryana, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Odisha, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Sikkim, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand — are revealing on the benefits of drip irrigation, according to the survey report.
Notably, the Chhattisgarh government decided to follow the Gujarat model of 'Drip and Sprinkler Irrigation' practices in the State in 2015-16.
It is worth mentioning here that many villages in Gujarat have adopted 100 per cent Drip and Sprinkler Irrigation systems to water crops. In June 2009, more than 93,000 farmers in Gujarat have adopted Drip Irrigation for their total 1.51 lakh hectare land.
Drip Irrigation system and inter-linking of 21 rivers of Gujarat for conservation of water has made it possible for record Sugarcane cultivation in that State.