Renovations of water bodies are on completion

BHOPAL: Renovation work of 13 irrigation projects including Langasura of Bhopal, Jajoun of Vidisha, 85 km long Harsi canal of Gwalior district, Nanhi Tehri and Prem Sagar of Tikamgarh district, Bhat Khamaria of Damoh district have been completed and 90 other projects are nearing completion.

Irrigation projects including dams constructed before 1986 are taken up for renovation under the project to regenerate old dams and their irrigation projects.

Among the projects taken up, several of them are very old. Due to this project the old dams and canals are being renovated, at the same time it is helping to increase the area of irrigation.

The old dams, after giving service for years, have turned onto in a dilapidated condition in the absence of proper repair and maintenance; their canals were damaged at several places. As a result of this, they were not able to give service even half of its capacity.

The state government, with the financial aid of Rs. 1919 crore from the World Bank, has taken up a project to renovate such dams and canals.

This project, named Madhya Pradesh Water Sector Restructuring Project have taken up the renovation work of irrigation projects situated in catchment areas of five rivers, Sindh, Betwa, Cane and Tones which runs through 30 districts.

In the beginning 505 irrigation projects were selected. Now 186 of them have been transferred to Bundelkhand Package. Work on these projects will be taken up under Bundelkhand Package. In fact, work had already started before the Bundelkhand package was introduced and works like Nanhi Tehri and Prem Sagar in Tikamgarh district and Bhat Khamaria project of Damoh district have been completed. Now the project has 319 projects in hand and their renovation work is to be completed. Under the project a total 13 irrigation projects have been completed. At present work of 88 irrigation projects is in progress.

Wherever the irrigation projects have been completed, the farmers of the area are very glad that since childhood they have been seeing these projects in a dilapidated and damaged condition. Now that these projects have been renovated and they are getting water for irrigation, naturally they are happy. Farmers benefited of Jajoun irrigation project say that now that the canals have been repaired, our condition also improved.
After renovation, Harsi Canal of Gwalior is able to double the area of irrigation than earlier. This also helped in more than doubling the production. By renovating this 85-km long canal, farmers of more than 160 villages have been benefited. By repairing the dams and canals, the farmers consider these as their own and are now alert to maintain them.

The farmers are getting benefit of farming, horticulture, animal rearing and fisheries and their economic condition is also improving due to renovation of the irrigation projects. Exhibition plots are being constructed in the land of farmers so that they are able to produce high yielding varieties. Seeing this, other farmers will also be encouraged to adopt the method. The farmers are also being given training in high yield farming, fisheries and animal rearing.