In view of deficient rainfall in the State, on the approval of the district–level water utilisation committee, release of water in canals has been commenced from the Minimata Bango dam in Korba district. At present 79 per cent water is filled in the dam.
This was informed by Water Resources Minister Brijmohan Agrawal, at the Chhattisgarh State Rural and Other Backward Class Area Development Authority and Scheduled Caste Development Authority meetings chaired by Chief Minister Raman Singh here.Agrawal said that a decision has been taken to release water in the canals in other districts also, based on the approval of district-level water utilisation committee. In both the meetings, storage of water in the dams of the State has been reviewed.
Both the Chief Minister and the Water Resources Minister asked the farmers not to be disheartened. The Meteorological Department has predicted possibility of good rainfall in the State in the coming days. The Water Resources Department has been taking every possible step for the proper and balanced utilisation of water.
Secretary, Water Resources Ganesh Shankar Mishra said that there are eight major, 34 medium, 2,390 small irrigation dams and 383 Anicuts in the State. These tanks have a total capacity of irrigating 16 lakh hectare for Kharif and 3.04 lakh hectare for Rabi season crops.As on first week of July this year, about 34,173 lack cubic meter water is available in the eight major dams of the State, which is 54 percent of their total water storage capacity. During 2012, the water availability of the same period was 28,437 lakh cubic meter and in 2013 it was 26,437 lakh cubic meter, he added.
Mishra said that, at present 16,520 lakh cubic meter water has been reserved from the available water in the 42 major and medium dams for drinking water and other needs. From the remaining 17,653 lakh cubic meter, water could be released for irrigation of Kharif crops in 3.17 lakh hectare area. From the water available at present in the 2,390 small irrigation projects, after reserving for drinking water and Nistari, water could be released for irrigation of Kharif crop in 10,000 hectare,he added.
At present, 79 per cent water is stored in Minimata dam, 86 per cent in Sutiya Padh dam, 84 per cent in Chhirpani, 75 percent in Maniyari dam, 76 per cent in Saroda dam, 82 percent in Pipariya Nallah dam and 74 per cent in Kharang dam, Mishra said.