Difference of 16 lakh Ha in irrigation figures of WRD, Agriculture Deptt

28-03-14

State Government constitutes division-level committees for effective co-ordination among Water Resources, Agriculture, and Co-operation departments, and to ‘reduce’ the difference

By Kartik Lokhande
There is a huge difference of 16 lakh hectares in the figures of irrigation reported by Water Resources Department (WRD) and Agriculture Department in Maharashtra. No, this is not a wild allegation. This ‘disparity’ has been officially recognised by the Government itself. In fact, to ‘reduce’ this ‘disparity’, the Government has decided to constitute division-level committees.
The last time, Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan himself had quoted from Economic Survey of Maharashtra and stated that there was only 0.1 per cent increase in area under irrigation in the State in last 10 years despite spending huge amount of Rs 72,000 crore. This had kicked up a storm. Soon, this snowballed into a major controversy leading to revelation of infamous irrigation scam. It led to publication of a ‘White Paper on Irrigation’. Several heads rolled and even the Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar had to resign from his post. Later on, the ruling Congress-NCP alliance ‘explained’ that there was actually ‘disparity’ in figures of area under irrigation as reported by WRD and Agriculture Department. However, Agriculture Minister Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil stuck to the figures reported by his department.
This time, WRD itself has admitted to ‘disparity’ between the figures of WRD and Agriculture Department. Officially, it has been recognised that there is a huge ‘disparity’ of 16,00,000 hectares in the figures of irrigation potential created in State, between both the departments. As per the WRD, the irrigation potential created at the end of June 2012 through various major, medium, and minor irrigation projects was 48.35 lakh hectares. However, the area under irrigation as reported by Agriculture Department was only 32.35 lakh hectares as in June 2012. Thus, there is a huge ‘disparity’ of 16,00,000 hectares between the figures quoted by both the departments.
Jittery over the discrepancies, the Government has decided to constitute committees at division levels in State to ‘reduce’ the ‘disparity’ in figures of both the departments. The committees, to be known as Command Area Development Co-ordination Committees, will work to ensure ‘effective co-ordination on day-to-day basis’ among WRD, Agriculture Department, and Co-operation Department. As per the Government Resolution issued on March 26, 2014, by Additional Chief Secretary (Agriculture) Dr Sudhirkumar Goel and Principal Secretary (CADA) Malini Shankar, the committees will work at division level. There are total six administration divisions in the State -- Nagpur, Amravati, Konkan, Nashik, Aurangabad, and Pune. Thus, there will be six such committees in place.
Each of these committees will be headed by respective Divisional Commissioner and Regional Chief Engineer (Irrigation Management) will be the Joint Chairman of the panel. Superintending Engineer (Headquarters) of WRD will be Member Secretary. The members will comprise all District Collectors, all Joint Directors (Agriculture), all Joint Directors (Co-operation), all Chief Executive Officers of Zilla Parishads, and all Superintending Engineers (CADA) in respective division.
The committees have been entrusted with the task of holding at least three meetings in a year -- October 15-31 at the start of Rabi season, February 15-28 at the start of summer, and July 1-15 ahead of Kharif season. The meetings are to be chaired by respective Divisional Commissioner. Interestingly, though the committees are expected to ‘reduce disparity’ in figures reported by the two departments, the briefs given to them pertain mostly to availability and reservation of water in dams.
The panels have to take ‘realistic review’ of the water availability in dams as on October 15 and decide on reservation for drinking and industrial purposes. Besides, these committees will take stock of water availability in dams as on February 15 and arrive at the figure of water left for irrigation purposes. Once the availability of water for irrigation is arrived at, crop pattern will be decided in co-ordination with Agriculture Department. Co-operation and Agriculture Departments both will facilitate extension of benefits of various schemes to farmers.

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