State allocates Rs 10,000 crore for irrigation

The Orissa government has formulated Rs 10,000-crore prospective plan for sustainable development of water resources with a target to create additional irrigation potential of 0.56 million hectares over the next five years.

The net irrigation potential in the state, at present, is 2.93 million hectares from all sources including major and medium projects (1322 hectares), minor irrigation projects (551 hectares), lift irrigation points (493 hectares) and other sources 566 hectares.

The state has total cultivable land of 6.16 million hectares.

With this investment, the government intends to provide irrigation facilities to at least 35 percent of the cultivable land in each block by 2013-14. Out of 314 blocks in the state, a state government report said 198 blocks have been identified as water deficit blocks by the end of March last.

“A master plan has been prepared to cover these 198 deficit blocks”, a senior engineer of the water resources department told Business Standard. The proposed potential would be achieved through the implementation of different irrigation programmes including the Accelerated Irrigation Benefit Programme (AIBP).  As many as 19 major and medium irrigation projects with estimated cost of Rs 11339.22 crore were taken up under AIBP to create additional irrigation potential of 443.42 thousand hectares and stabilize irrigation facilities for another 61.62 thousand hectares.

At least seven of these projects have been completed, while others are in different stages of implementation.

During 2009-10, Rs 938.90 crore was spent and additional potential of 18.766 thousand hectares was created through these completed projects.During this period, the water resources department contemplates to take up at least 16 new major and medium irrigation projects with design irrigation potential of 165.393 thousand hectares.

The government also plans to extend the Command Area Development and Water management (CAD&WM) activities to 16 more major and medium irrigation projects, the sources added.