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Chhattisgarh government has launched a campaign to complete the irrigation projects that could not be completed.
Under the campaign called “Lakshya Bhagirathi”, the water resources department had identified 108 projects that could not be completed. Most of the projects are minor and middle. For the last three decades, the projects were pending for required clearances.
“Of the 108 projects, the department has set a target to complete 88 projects in the financial year 2016-17,” state’s water resources minister Brijmohan Agrawal said. The projects on completion would provide irrigation in additional 71322 hectares of area, he added. The districts where irrigation potential has been below 10% had been given priority in the campaign.
Agrawal said the projects would be milestone in enhancing growth in the agriculture sector in the state (that falls under Rice-agro-climatic zone). About 80% population of the state is rural and the main livelihood of the villagers is agriculture and agriculture based small industries.
The economy of the state is mainly based on agriculture and forestry. The agriculture sector contributes around 38% to the State’s Net Domestic Product. Of the total workforce of 8.3 million, 5.9 million (71%) are engaged in agriculture.
Net sown area of the Chhattisgarh state is 4.683 million hectares while the gross sown area is 5.561 million hectares. The state’s Irrigation potential was 1.328 million hectares at the time of formation of the state (in November 2000) which was 23% of the gross sown area.
The irrigation potential has now been raised to 1.844 million hectares which is 33.15% of gross sown area. Agrawal said the state government had set a target to raise the irrigation potential to 3.2 million hectares by 2028.
