Mungantiwar reviews Asolamendha-Gosekhurd irrigation woes; water to junction line on October 20

A review meeting on irrigation was held on October 15 at the Dr Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Public Library in Chandrapur. MLA Sudhir Mungantiwar took stock of the irrigation problems of farmers linked to the Asolamendha and Gosekhurd projects. He discussed in detail problems such as unfinished canal work, leaks in pipelines, inadequate water supply and a lack of irrigation facilities.

Mungantiwar directed that farmers should not have to struggle for water and should not lose their crops for want of it. He asked for a well-thought-out plan to make the entire Ballarpur constituency rich in irrigation facilities. He also said the departments concerned must coordinate their work and settle irrigation issues first.

At the meeting, Mungantiwar said a major meeting on water supply issues would be held within the next eight days with Water Resources Minister Girish Mahajan. He also directed that a meeting be held with Soil and Water Conservation Minister Sanjay Rathod to draw up a long-term programme of water conservation works.

Referring to efforts to get all 15 talukas of Chandrapur district included in the drought-hit list, Mungantiwar said the benefits of drought-relief measures must reach farmers effectively. According to him, in drought conditions, fodder for animals, funds for drinking water schemes and water conservation works can be speeded up. He asked for a separate follow-up mechanism so that the opportunities available from the government are fully used.

Mungantiwar's initiative has given momentum to efforts to take irrigation water to the fields of eight villages through the SB4 junction line. He expressed the wish that water from this junction line be released at the hands of a poor farmer. He said that for a poor farmer every drop of water is as precious as the wealth in the vaults of the Reserve Bank. The aim of the initiative is that farmers' hard work should be matched by water and that their crops should flourish.

After the site inspection and the review meeting, water is planned to be released into the junction line on October 20. This has raised the hopes of farmers in eight villages: Rajoli, Chikhli, Gangalwadi, Dongargaon, Chitki, Lonkhairi, Navegaon (Lon) and Bendewahi.

Mungantiwar directed that a list of irrigation department officials of the four talukas of Pombhurna, Mul, Ballarpur and Chandrapur be prepared and irrigation facilities be expanded over the next three years. The work is to be done through irrigation, water conservation and individual irrigation schemes. He also said a detailed project report (DPR) should be prepared to make the entire constituency irrigated, the possibility of using the Forest Department's CAMPA funds for individual irrigation should be examined, and an alternative arrangement under a new scheme should be considered for some parts of the core area of the Human project.

In the review of Asolamendha and Gosekhurd, Mungantiwar asked that issues such as unfinished canal work, inadequate water supply and pipeline leaks be dealt with first. The meeting was told that the main canal of the Asolamendha project has a capacity of 65 cumecs, but only 42 cumecs of water is actually being released, which is affecting irrigation. Pipeline leakage in Pombhurna taluka and irrigation problems at Janala, Sushi Dabgaon, Kelzar and Velwa in Mul taluka were also discussed. It was put before the meeting that paddy is being lost at Velwa for want of water and that the question of deepening a pond is also stuck.

Mungantiwar directed that the department concerned compensate farmers if standing crops are damaged while canal leaks are being repaired, and also provide the electricity needed for irrigation. He also suggested immediate correspondence at the local, Nagpur and Mumbai levels to put the matter before the ministers concerned and Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to resolve the stalled issues. He made clear that irrigation issues should be resolved within a set time and that water should reach farmers' fields through proper use of existing water sources.