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Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said that the Rs 2,600 crore-Arjun Sahayak Irrigation Project would bring positive changes in the lives of farmers of Banda, Hamirpur and Mahoba, benefits which were denied to them by the previous governments.
"The project, to be completed in the next one or two months, will be inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi," the chief minister announced while addressing a gathering on Wednesday after making an inspection of the Lachura Dam of the Arjun Sahayak Irrigation Project in Mahoba district.
The chief minister said that this project on the river Dhasan would provide irrigation facilities to 1.5 lakh farmers of 168 villages of Mahoba, Banda and Hamirpur. Besides, he said, about four lakh people would get pure drinking water and the irrigation facility would be provided in an area of 15,000 hectares. He said under this project, the irrigation capacity would be expanded up to 44,382 hectares.
Yogi Adityanath said that the river had been the basis of India's culture and tradition and source of water. "There should have been a plan to save every drop of river water, but no government made any efforts in this direction," he said.
The chief minister said that he had a special affection for Mahoba. "Many of the features here connect us to spiritual and historical traditions and with the inspiration of PM Modi this region is witnessing fast development. The previous governments had denied irrigation and drinking water facilities to 168 villages inhabited by four lakh people but we are taking care of them," he said.
"We have revived and started many plans which were pending for many years. Projects such as expressways, defence manufacturing corridors and Jal Jeevan Mission water will take Bundelkhand to new heights," he said.
Speaking on the drinking water schemes, the chief minister said that half the diseases would be eliminated automatically if pure drinking water reached every home. He said that under Bundelkhand, the government was delivering tap water to every house under the Jal Jeevan Mission.
Yogi directed the officials to formulate an action plan for training the local rural youth under Jal Jeevan Mission. The chief minister also encouraged the officials and public representatives to get the schools repaired through the corporate social responsibility (CSR) fund.
Bharatiya Janata Party state president Swatantra Dev Singh and Jal Shakti Minister Mahendra Singh were also present on the occasion.