Bhopal: Minor irrigation schemes which have become chronic impaired and have lost their irrigation capacity are being revived, restored and repaired in the last few years in the state. This programme of the Water Resources Department is a component of the ‘Har Khet ko Pani’ (Water for every farm) programme.
In the last 7 years, administrative approval was granted to as many as 345 irrigation projects under the scheme. Out of these, the work of repair, revival and restoration of 329 irrigation projects have been completed. This has resulted in about 95,360 hectares of irrigation capacity again in the state. In the last financial year, administrative approval for the works of 8 new schemes has been released with which 4,754 hectare area can be irrigated again.
In order to increase agricultural production by utilizing and developing maximum irrigation potential in irrigation areas under the land, water management and large and medium irrigation projects in the state, the Ministry for Central Water Resources has included irrigation projects in the Command Area Development and Water Management Programme.
So far this year, field channel has been constructed in 6 lakh 54 thousand 316 hectare against the total command area of 10 lakh 37 thousand 765 hectares of 23 large and medium irrigation projects. Last year, about Rs 85 crore was spent till December, 2018 against Rs 195.72 crore and the field channel was constructed in 32,082 hectare area.