Noted social activist and youth leader Saket Sreebhushan Sahu urges the Chief Minister of Odisha Shri Naveen Patnaik in a letter to speed up the scheme / programme which will help to improve the irrigation potential of all the blocks in Bargarh district. The letter explain detail as below:
Government of Odisha has a strategy to have an action plan for short-term, medium-term and long term for irrigation development and efficient as well as productive utilisation of irrigation water. The DPRs for 3 medium projects are prepared. Clearance of TAC, Environmental clearances, forest clearances are almost at final stage for these medium projects. There is vast scope for construction of minor irrigation schemes both surface and lift from rivers and ground water aquifer. Inputs are obtained from different Divisions of Irrigation Department, Minor Irrigation, Lift Irrigation etc.
The Plan is prepared taking in to account the irrigation requirement with a goal of enhancing agricultural productivity, production and thereby increase per capita farmer’s income. Hon’ble prime minister has set a target of doubling the national average income of farmers by 2022. Bargarh district has 1,15,520 hectares of area which is sown more than once. Main contributing factor for this scenario of development of double cropped area in this district is availability of assured irrigation. The strategic plan has taken into consideration to provide assured irrigation facilities wherever sources are available to convert mono-crop area of 238531 hectares to double or multi-crop area.
Further, about 51% percent of the total cultivable area of the district is irrigated through different sources which vary from block to block with minimum of 26% in Bijepur and maximum of 104% in Attabira and Bheden. It is planned to create additional potential of 28077 hectares under PMKSY and 52141Ha. under state planned schemes of irrigation over a period of 5 years. The irrigation potential will be created using both surface and ground water. Plan to create additional irrigation potential under AIBP is 10937, HKKP component is 15915 ha., PMKSY (Watershed) is 1225 ha. and 51880 from State Planned Scheme of Irrigation.
Under HKKP component, it is planned to create 16125 new irrigation structures through lift irrigation, covering both surface and ground water. These new structure will have the potential to irrigate additional 15915 hectares of land. About 1246 irrigation structure (lift & borewell) will be repaired and renovated which will revive irrigation potential of 7874 hectares. About 271 Lift irrigation structure covering 3024 ha. ayacut area will be stabilized. Budget amounting Rs. 2107 lakh has been proposed for stabilization of Ayacut. 15620 nos. of sprinkler set has been proposed for better irrigation management of 31240 ha. command area. Budget proposed for sprinkler set is Rs. 8290 lakh. Budget of Rs. 27790 lakh has been proposed for RRR work of about 279 nos. water bodies covering 5022 ha. irrigable command area. Under this component, new distribution channels will be created along with strengthening existing channels and construction of lift irrigation points. A total of Rs. 58522 lakh fund has been proposed for construction of field channels like lined, unlined and check dam in total 55009 ha. command area. Total 164 nos. check dam will be constructed during entire five year plan period. Proposed irrigation structure will also help to increase the ground water recharge. Total irrigation potential to be created under this component is 15915 hectares with an estimated budget of Rs. 167028 lakh under PMKSY.
In order to improve water use efficiency, different activities are planned like promotion of micro irrigation systems, construction of micro irrigation structures, secondary storage structures, using water lifting devices and its promotion at farmer’s end, strengthening extension activities through capacity building measures, organizing awareness camps at village and GP level for sensitizing farmers and establishment of ICT for monitoring.
About 637 micro watersheds have been identified in the district and under PMKSY, 6403 new water bodies will be taken up for Run-off management, soil water conservation and improving soil-moisture regime. Total budget estimated for implementation of new as well as renovation of existing water bodies is Rs. 18323 lakh for a period of 5 years. Implementation of water bodies will help to improve the soil-moisture regime and would be able to manage run-off in 20968 hectares of land.
Creation of irrigation canals, field bunding and land development work shall be taken up in convergence with MGNREGA. Total budget estimated is Rs. 2540. lakh For a period of 5 years. Implementation of the same will help to create irrigation facility in 261 ha. of cultivated command area of Bargarh district.
Various state run irrigation projects will simultaneously be implemented during the plan period of 5 years. Govt. departments like Irrigation, Agriculture of state will implement various irrigation projects. After successful implementation of state planned projects, an additional 51880 ha. Irrigation potentiality will be created. Block wise abstract of state runned irrigation projects is tabulated here under.
Presently installed irrigation structure is using 0.88294 BCM surface water during kharif & 0.79130 BCM surface water during rabi. Total surface water requirement for 100 % utilization of presently installed irrigation structure is about 1.67424 BCM.
Presently, installed irrigation facilities uses only 0.001452 BCM ground water during kharif and 0.0010948 BCM ground water during rabi season. Total ground water requirement for 100% utilization of presently installed irrigation structure is about 0.0025468 BCM. However, all irrigation structures are not operating at their full potential throughout the year, hence actual water utilization for irrigation purpose during Kharif & Rabi seasons is much less than design calculation.