Work of 150 irrigation projects halted due to forest issues: VDB


* In its report submitted to the State Legislature on Saturday, VDB has sought relaxation from restrictions on taking up new projects in Vidarbha
By Kartik Lokhande 
The rainfed region of Vidarbha has seen maximum suicides of farmers. One of the major causes is inadequate irrigation facilities. What ails irrigation development in Vidarbha region? The latest report of Vidarbha Development Board (VDB), tabled before the State Legislature on Saturday, points out some of the reasons.
VDB has listed out the major reasons behind problems with creation of adequate irrigation potential in Vidarbha. These include inadequate allocation, forest clearance issues stalling work of under-construction projects, no plan for utilisation of 157 TMC water etc. While pointing these out, the VDB report has pressed for relaxation from restrictions on taking up new projects in the region.
As per the directives of Governor, Vidarbha has 773 TMC water available for utilisation. This includes 678 TMC water from Godavari basin and 95 TMC water from Tapi basin. One TMC water creates irrigation potential of 4,800 hectares. As per the VDB report, after excluding water for drinking and industrial uses, 65 to 70 per cent farm-land could come under flow irrigation from available water.
So far, 852 projects have been completed creating irrigation potential of 8,10,139 hectares. “Of this, a large amount of water is diverted to thermal power projects. This has caused reduction of irrigation potential on a large scale,” the report states. 
Further, work of nearly 202 projects is in progress. These would create irrigation potential of 9,28,626 hectares. Of this, irrigation potential of 2,64,782 hectares has been created so far. To achieve remaining irrigation potential, VDB has stressed upon immediately attending the issues related to availability of sufficient funds, enough number of staff, decentralisation of powers, and giving expeditious administrative approvals.
Further, the work of 150 under-construction projects is ‘at stand still for the release of forest land’, the report adds. These projects require forest land of 20,088 hectares. For want of forest clearance to these projects, irrigation potential of 14,89,263 hectares could not be created so far.
In no uncertain terms, the report calls as ‘erroneous’ the notion that forest area is reduced due to acquiring of the forest land for irrigation projects. In the opinion of VDB, new forest is created through afforestation on much more land. Similarly, if water storages are created through irrigation projects, ‘quantity and quality’ of forest in the surroundings will improve. Besides, new plantation is possible and water is made available to wild animals in the command area of the projects. Since fund of Net Present Value (NPV) and compensatory afforestation goes back to the Government, it could be utilised to raise forest in the areas without much of forest.
There should not be any opposition to irrigation projects in Vidarbha on the ground that it has more forest area. About 58 per cent of the forest area of the State is in Vidarbha. “If the Forest Conservation Act of 1980 becomes a hurdle to development of irrigation, it is needed to be changed,” VDB has recommended strongly. Quoting the Second Water and Irrigation Commission, 1999, VDB has stated that new ‘Forest Development Act’ has to be drafted and enacted expeditiously.
Further, VDB report reveals that out of available water, utilisation of 157 TMC is ‘not yet planned’. From this, even after diverting water for drinking and for industry, it is possible to create irrigation potential of 6 lakh hectares. “It is necessary to plan utilisation of this balance water,” it stresses.
The Governer has imposed restrictions on taking up new irrigation projects anywhere in the State in next 10 years. As a result, VDB has pointed out, although 200 TMC water is available in Vidarbha, which is not used and hence wasted, it is necessary to take up new projects here. In the districts with 100 per cent irrigation potential created and ongoing projects, there is no need to take up projects. “It is unjustified to say that no project should be taken up in Vidarbha. The restriction on undertaking new work should be relaxed at least for Vidarbha,” the report recommends.

‘Devpt funds of Vidarbha
diverted to other regions’
VDB has expressed strong displeasure over diversion of development funds meant for Vidarbha region to other parts of Maharashtra despite the Governor’s directives. “The actual fund made available to Vidarbha is much less and every year the funds for Vidarbha are diverted to other areas on a very large scale,” it states. Besides, the Governor has asked the State Government to publish department-wise distribution of development funds and actual expenditure. Still, VDB report laments, the information is not published. “The break-up of expenditure is not made available to the Board inspite of asking for it. If this information is made available, it would become evident how much fund allotted to Vidarbha has been diverted elsewhere,” it observes.

‘No action taken on VSDB reports’
Vidarbha Development Board has also expressed its lament that the departments concerned do not take action on the reports it submits to them. So far, VDB has submitted 16 reports and these were sent to the departments concerned. “But, the action is not taken by them on these reports,” it rues. To avoid such ‘situation’, VDB has stated that it is necessary to understand the present policy of the Government on subjects selected for study. Besides, before making recommendations in accordance with the aims and objectives of the departments concerned, officers of the level of Deputy Secretary/Joint Secretary of the Ministerial departments and officers like Joint Director at local-level should be involved in the process of preparation of such study reports, VDB has recommended.

Vid backlog increased
tremendously: VDB
After studying the figures since 1982, Vidarbha Development Board has pointed out that between 2012 and 2014, the backlog of Vidarbha region has increased ‘tremendously.’ However, the overall increase in the backlog has not been quantified in the report. The backlog of 2,27,269 hectares of Amravati Division at the end of June 2013 ‘still exists’, it mentions.

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Region                                          Backlog of Irrigation (equivalent to Rabi Crop)

                                              1982                           1994                                 2011

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Vidarbha                      5,27,310 (57.50%)       7,94,700 (57.04%)      11,61,690 (60.56%)

Marathwada                2,66,670 (28.20%)       4,30,640 (30.90%)        5,30,500(27.65%)

Rest of Maharashtra  1,36,310 (14.75%)        1,67,880 (12.40%)       2,26,200 (11.59%)

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Total                              9,24,290 (100%)           13,93,230 (100%)       19,19,390 (100%)

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(December 20, 2014) 

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