Union Minister Nitin Gadkari on Thursday drew the attention of Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister 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 written by the minister to Mr 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,” Mr 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,” Mr 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,” Mr Kulkarni said.
