Chhattisgarh’s Water Resources Department has sanctioned Rs13.90 crore for remodelling, lining and other works of distributaries number 3, 7 and 9 under Mahanadi Project in Tilda and Palari block of Balodabazar-Bhatapara district, officials informed on Saturday.
The completion of these works will provide farmers the irrigation facility for nearly 3,812 hectares. Notably, Chhattisgarh has set an ambitious target of raising its irrigation potential to 3.2 million hectares by 2028.
The State Government has ensured usage of nearly 73 per cent of the extended irrigation capacity which is far better than many other States of the country, officials stated. The actual irrigation capacity for Kharif season has doubled whereas the irrigation capacity for Rabi season has increased by 10 times, they stated.
The Chhattisgarh Government has reserved Rs15,000 crore for development of water resources projects during the 12th five year plan, officials informed. Notably, the Government has also made preparations to strengthen Central Government’s Water Conservation and Management policy of ‘Jal Kranti Abhiyaan’ (Water Revolution Mission).
A total of 54 severe water scarce villages have been selected for the Mission. Two villages from each of the 27 districts have been selected for the purpose.
Notably, the Government is also reviving defunct check-dams across the State by repairing them in a bid to bolster its ongoing water conservation measures taken up across the State.
The power consumption rate of agricultural irrigation pumps in Chhattisgarh have registered a phenomenal increase of 287 per cent during the past few years, officials of the State-owned power companies informed.
Currently over 3.73 lakh irrigation pumps are being used by farmers in Chhattisgarh.
A master plan for the development of horticulture had been prepared by the State Government on the basis of geographical distinction. There have been four times increase in acreage of horticulture and five times increase in the production of fruits, vegetables and flowers in the past thirteen years.
The horticulture crops include fruits, vegetables, flowers, spices, medicinal and scented plants. The acreage under horticulture is about seven lakh 92 thousand 943 hectares in 2015-16. Earlier, in the year 2004-05 the acreage under horticulture crops had been about 2.55 lakh hectares of land.
Twenty-five villages are located in each Development block and in each village a minimum of 20 acres is identified. Each cluster will have 200 acre land.
Fruit crops are developed in almost all the districts of the State. Mangoes, bananas, papaya, guavas, lime, narangi, kathal, lemons, cashew-nuts, custard apple, litchi, watermelon, amala, cherries, sapotas (Chiku), pomegranate, coconuts and many other fruit-bearing trees are grown on a large-scale in the entire State.
Watermelons grown in Chhattisgarh are very popular all over the world particularly in Middle-East. Watermelon is grown on a wide-scale at Mahanadi Basin-Janjgiri-Champa and Mahasamund districts.
The production of flowers had increased several times after the formation of the State. Genda (Marigold), Roses, Rajnigandha, Guldaudhi, Gladioleus, Chameli (Jasmine) and many other varieties are grown. Marigold plants are grown in the entire State.
About 2,600 new check dams had also been sanctioned and 679 check-dams had been constructed already. The excess water from the monsoons is being collected in this process. The water is being utilised for fish culture, officials informed.
Over 1.24 lakh water augmentation works had been sanctioned under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGA) during the past 18 months (2015-2016) and till June 2016. About 46,121 structures had already been constructed. This include construction of canals, deepening of canals, private construction of canals (dabri), construction of wells, check dams, anicuts, canal lining, irrigation drains, soak pits and flood control structures.
The Panchayat and Rural Development Department officials said that efforts are being made to raise the water-table in the rural regions by constructing check-dams.
Sanction had been given to construct 62,509 ‘Dabris’ (private canal construction) to store and conserve water in the fields itself. About 26, 345 ‘dabris’ had already been constructed. Small farmers are being benefitted. Farmers are growing fruits and vegetables in their fields and augmenting their incomes.
The Department officials said that several micro irrigation projects had been undertaken to increase the water-level in the entire State.
large-scale canal linings works are also being undertaken to save monsoon water and help the medium and small farmers. About 13,237 works have been undertaken to harvest water in rural regions and State Government buildings and save monsoon water and hand-pumps’ water.
Before the monsoons, 4087 soak-pits were developed. The farmers are financed under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGA).
Notably, two districts of Chhattisgarh mainly Jashpur and Kanker have been included in Centre’s Neeranchal National Watershed Project Implementation Plan early this year.
Neeranchal supports Capacity Building, Planning, Innovation, Communication, Knowledge Management and M&E which will benefit the components of PMKSY across all States. Some components of the project will be demonstrated in selected sites of the partner States to be scaled up across the State in a phased manner.
As a Technical Assistance (TA) project, Neeranchal aims to strengthen the existing structures and systems without creating parallel ones. This would ensure effective integration of learnings and their upscaling within project States and at the Centre.
The focus of Neeranchal is on value addition through targetted capacity building, development and testing of new models, software and skills and piloting of new approaches and innovations through demonstrations at scale, creating awareness and knowledge networks including access to best practices, and addressing existing gaps in the system.
It shall ensure institutional and systemic strengthening for effective and efficient programme delivery. Thus in essence, Neeranchal is designed to add value to all aspects of the Watershed Component of PMKSY and cater to the specific requirements of the nine project States.
Specific software, models and systemic innovations such as for integrated planning, capacity building, IEC, M&E, financial management, etc. developed within Neeranchal could be applied to all States under PMKSY, officials stated.