More than 250 irrigation projects in the country worth over Rs 1.5 lakh crore, some of them initiated more than five decades ago during the Second Five Year Plan, are yet to be completed.
Hundred major and 156 medium irrigation projects have been tagged as "delayed" in the 11th Five Year Plan, Ministry of Water Resources said.
"The total latest estimated cost of the projects is Rs 1,55,469.93 crore of which Rs 98,442.18 has been incurred till 10th Plan (anticipated)," the ministry said in reply to an RTI application by Mumbai-based activist Chetan Kothari.
Normal gestation period for completion of projects is taken as 15 to 20 years for major projects and 5 to 10 years for medium projects, the ministry said.
"Accordingly, the major projects started during or before 8th Plan which have been continuing as ongoing in 11th Plan may be considered as delayed projects," the ministry said in its reply.
The data provided by the ministry shows two major projects to be continuing since Second Five Year Plan (1956-61) while seven projects, six major and one medium, started during the Third Five Year Plan (1961-66) are also pending.
The data shows 37 major and 32 medium projects were started during Fifth Five Year Plan (1974-78) while 27 major and 27 medium ones that started between 1980 and 1985 are also pending.
The reply said more than 3,000 centrally assisted minor irrigation projects are yet to be completed.
"Central Loan Assistance under Accelerated Irrigation Benefit Programme (AIBP) was introduced in 1996 to provide financial assistance to the states to expedite completion of surface water major and medium projects. From 1999-2000 the scope of AIBP was extended to include minor irrigation schemes also," the reply said.
"Since inception of AIBP for minor irrigation projects, a total number of 9,863 minor irrigation schemes with a combined total estimated cost of Rs 7264.088 crore have been taken up in the states up to April 28 of which 6,615 minor irrigation schemes have been completed up to March 31. Thus 3348 MI are ongoing schemes," it said.
In India, irrigation projects are classified as major (covering culturable command area more than 10,000 hectare), medium (CCA between 2,000 and 10,000 ha), and minor (CCA below 2,000 ha).
The source of water in major and medium schemes is surface water while the dominant source in minor schemes is ground water.
