Washim (Maharashtra), Sep 12 (IANS) Union Minister Nitin Gadkari on Thursday drew the attention of Maharashtra Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis, who also holds the Water Resources portfolio, to the irrigation sector backlog in Washim district, and made a strong pitch for addressing the issue on a priority basis.
In a letter dated September 9, Gadkari said the state needs to step in soon and prepare a technical report, adding that the government should approve providing at least 200 million cubic metres of water from the Upper Painganga dam to the water-starved Washim district.
This was the second letter which he wrote to Fadnavis on the issue after November 11, 2023.
“Washim is included in the aspirational district list. As the district is on the watershed of Tapi basin and Godavari basin, water availability is not sufficient. Agriculture based on nature is the main occupation of the people of the district. But a changing climate has disrupted the rainfall cycle. It affects agriculture. Due to lack of irrigation, farming in the district is becoming difficult. Due to this, farmer suicides occur in large numbers in the district,” Gadkari said his latest letter.
The senior BJP leader also said that Painganga, which is a large river, is adjacent to Washim district and there is abundant water available downstream of the Upper Painganga dam.
“The government has already given permission to pump about 680 million cubic metres of water into the Upper Painganga dam from the water available downstream. Keeping in view the lack of irrigation and limited availability of water in Washim district, at least 200 million cubic metres of water available downstream of the Upper Painganga dam should be made available to the district. Experts feel various problems in the district can be solved to some extent with this move,” Gadkari said.
To make available 200 million cubic metres of water from Upper Painganga dam, the government will have to chalk out an exhaustive plan for the construction of reservoirs, embankments and canals, the Union Minister said, as he requested that a detailed technical report should be prepared on the matter.
Meanwhile, water rights activist Sachin Kulkarni said Washim district needs 1,24,980 hectares of Rabi equivalent to get the state average of irrigation.
“To fill up this irrigation backlog, a Kolhapur-type embankment in the district can be converted into an irrigation project as per the Godavari Arbitration. A big increase in the irrigation sector can be achieved by constructing mini-projects and ponds in all the six talukas,” Kulkarni said.
–IANS
sj/arm
Disclaimer
The information contained in this website is for general information purposes only. The information is provided by TodayIndia.news and while we endeavour to keep the information up to date and correct, we make no representations or warranties of any kind, express or implied, about the completeness, accuracy, reliability, suitability or availability with respect to the website or the information, products, services, or related graphics contained on the website for any purpose. Any reliance you place on such information is therefore strictly at your own risk.
In no event will we be liable for any loss or damage including without limitation, indirect or consequential loss or damage, or any loss or damage whatsoever arising from loss of data or profits arising out of, or in connection with, the use of this website.
Through this website you are able to link to other websites which are not under the control of TodayIndia.news We have no control over the nature, content and availability of those sites. The inclusion of any links does not necessarily imply a recommendation or endorse the views expressed within them.
Every effort is made to keep the website up and running smoothly. However, TodayIndia.news takes no responsibility for, and will not be liable for, the website being temporarily unavailable due to technical issues beyond our control.
For any legal details or query please visit original source link given with news or click on Go to Source.
Our translation service aims to offer the most accurate translation possible and we rarely experience any issues with news post. However, as the translation is carried out by third part tool there is a possibility for error to cause the occasional inaccuracy. We therefore require you to accept this disclaimer before confirming any translation news with us.
If you are not willing to accept this disclaimer then we recommend reading news post in its original language.
