The Union Ministry of Environment and Forest has given a green signal to construction of 12.35 meter high and 147 metre long barrage on Arpa river near Bhaisajhar village in Bilaspur district, officials stated. The total cost of the project is Rs606.43 crores and is to be completed within three years.
The project would provide irrigation facility in 25,000 hectares of land benefitting 102 villages in Bilaspur district.
The total land requirement for the project is 1890.09 hectares out of which 442.35 hectares is forest land, 377.35 hectares is Government land and 1070.39 hectares is private land. The total submergence area is 653.59 hectares. The total catchment area upto the barrage site is 1693.86 square kilometres.
The Stage-I forest clearance was accorded on December 12, 2014.
The Expert Appraisal Committee of the Central Government recommended grant of environmental clearance to the project.
The State Government in June last year had drawn up an ambitious Rs2,000 crore project plan to develop the Arpa river bank in Bilaspur district during the next seven years.
For this, Government has constituted a ‘Special Area Development Authority’ (SADA) for the development of the Arpa river bank near Bilaspur city.
The Government has invited proposals from interested national and international institutions for the development of the river bank on a PPP model.
The Authority has prepared a project for the development of the river and is now in search of organisations that would be interested in developing the river on a Public Private Partnership (PPP).
According to SADA, about 653-hectare area on the banks of the river would be developed. This area is 13.4 km in length.
Commercial, residential, entertainment and other institutional facilities would be developed in this area. On both the sides of the river, 13.4-km-long retaining wall, houses and commercial
complexes would be constructed, besides bridge, roads and walkways. Water supply, sewerage, drainage, electricity supply would be provided in the area.
The estimated cost of all the works is Rs2,000 crore. The development works would be taken up in phases during the next seven years.
Of the total 653-hectare area, some of the land is owned privately. In lieu of acquisition of private land, the affected people would be given land at other areas.
Moreover, the Government has set the target to develop additional irrigation capacity of nearly four lakh hectares area in the next four years in the State.
From 12th to 19th phase of NABARD Scheme, total 29 projects have been completed to add up 19,748 hectares to irrigation capacity of the State.
Betterment of agriculture-farmers is simply not possible without the expansion of irrigation facilities. The State Government has always taken it as its priority to ensure proper utilization of water-resources for expanding total area of irrigated land in state, officials stated.
As a result of several measures, the irrigation capacity of the State has increased from 20 per cent to 34.20 per cent. During Kharif season, the actual irrigated area in the State expanded from 5.35 lakh hectare to 11.70 lakh hectare.
Nearly 74.19 per cent of the total irrigation capacity of the State is being utilized for Kharif crops, which is far better than many states of the country, officials claimed.
A decade ago, water supply for irrigation of only 11,000 hectares was available during Rabi season. Now the capacity has expanded by 10 times.
Presently, the State has availability of water supply sufficient for irrigation of nearly 1.10 lakh hectare of land. In kharif and rabi season, 67 per cent of the total irrigation capacity of state is utilised.
The State Government has facilitated water-supply to agricultural farms of the
State through its eight big, 35 medium and 2390 small irrigation schemes. Construction of Anicuts and stop dams has proved beneficial for drinking water supply, irrigation, effluents and groundwater conservation.
The State Government has given preference to construction of Anicuts and stop dams on rivers and pond. Till date, as many as 383 Anicuts have been constructed on various rivers of the State.
Presently, construction of eight big, four medium and 343 small irrigation schemes is in progress. A total of 325 new Anicuts are also under
construction.
Out of the six barrages under construction at Mahanadi for industrial purpose, construction of Samoda and Mirauni barrages are at final stage of completion.
Top works of Kelo extensive irrigation project in Raigarh have been already completed. This project has enabled irrigation of 23,000 hectares.
Hasdeo Bango Project is a multipurpose extensive irrigation project. Entire construction works under this project have been completed. As per the scheme, Hasdeo Bango project will enable irrigation facility for 800 villages of Korba, Janjgir-Champa and Raigarh district.
A sum of Rs10 crores have been provisioned for electricity line extension so as to electrify the irrigation pumps placed in water collection area of 150 Anicuts, constructed for expansion of irrigation capacity. To encourage micro irrigation, ‘State funded Micro Irrigation Scheme’ has been started. Under this scheme, farmers are granted 75 per cent of the unit cost.
Ambitious Kelo Extensive Project of Raigarh district has been completed and action plan is being made to supply water for irrigation of 25,000 hectares.
Kosarteda irrigation water reservoir in tribal populated Bastar area of the State, which was lying under-constructed since long, was eventually completed in June 2008. This scheme created irrigation capacity of 9,500 hectares in tribal areas.
Moreover, keeping in view Naya Raipur Project Area’s demand of drinking water-supply by 2040, two Anicuts have been constructed in village Tila and Ravar on River Mahanadi.