Chhattisgarh to spend Rs 200cr for irrigation

Chhattisgarh government will pump in about Rs 200 crore to enhance the irrigation facility in the state.

The state government has approved the proposals submitted by the irrigation department to take up the projects that will enhance the irrigation facilities besides re-charging and conserving water in rural areas.

Irrigation minister Hemchand Yadav said that 27 small projects would be taken up at a cost of about Rs 200 crore. "Under the projects, small annicuts would be constructed in different canals and rivers that would help in creating irrigation source other than recharging ground and conserving water," Yadav added.

Sources said that after getting the government's approval, the department had issued separate orders for the work. The other official formalities including inviting tenders would be completed soon, they added.

The projects will be constructed in the paddy-rich pockets of Bilaspur, Raigarh, Raipur, Rajnandgaon, Janjgir-Champa, Dhamtari and Mahasamund districts. Sources said that the projects would be completed by June 2010.