Gujarat’s Irrigation Minister Kunvarji’s claim and reality something else

Gandhinagar, 27 April 2023
Irrigation Minister Kuvarji Bavaliya has told about the success of irrigation. But the reality is different. The details of the complete failure of the BJP government in irrigation for 22 years can be understood on the basis of government statistics. It can be understood from this that how much Pradhan is lying.

Gujarat Water Resources Minister Kunvarji Bavaliya announced on 26 April 2023 that the government led by Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel has achieved another milestone in the irrigation sector. 45,050 farmers have been irrigated in an area of 67,015 acres in 542 villages of 105 talukas of 20 districts of the state. Another achievement has been achieved in the field of irrigation. In the first phase, 130 out of 169 works have been completed by the Water Resources Department in 20 districts. These include Patan, Banaskantha, Mehsana, Gandhinagar, Aravalli, Anand, Kheda, Chhota Udaipur, Dahod, Narmada, Panchmahal, Dang, Tapi, Surat, Navsari, Valsad, Jamnagar, Rajkot, Kutch and Vadodara.

In the budget 2023-24, a total of Rs. 9,705 crore has been provided. This year, the water resources budget has been increased by 82 percent as compared to last year so that the marginal farmer can get maximum benefit of irrigation. At present Rs.100 in 100 days. 242 works worth Rs 3,306 crore are under approval process. With the completion of these works, about 1,34,250 acres of land in 356 villages of 110 talukas of 31 districts of the state will come under irrigation and an estimated 69,747 farmers will get direct and indirect irrigation and other benefits.

Small and big check dams, recharge wells, dams, small and big irrigation schemes, sea erosion and flood protection works, canal and canal structures and other repair works, benefits of village-seam etc. through pipeline in Hayat Udayavahan Sinchai Yojana etc. ensure. Works like irrigation to farmers, filling of ponds have been done.

Increase/improvement in irrigated area, improvement in the quality of underground water-level will increase, salinity will reduce in coastal areas, seepage and seepage from canals will stop and wastage of water will stop. Outside farmers will get more water for irrigation.

What’s the reality?
Here are the latest reports and statistics released by the state government to the public.
In 2007-08, 12 lakh 16 thousand hectare was irrigated. Instead of increasing in 5 years in 2012-13, irrigation decreased to 10 lakh 63 thousand hectare. Except check dams, wells, tubewell tanks etc. major dams, Sardar Sarovar dams and minor irrigation schemes irrigated 10 lakh 10 thousand hectare in 2007-8, which was irrigated after 5 years in 2012-13 in 8 lakh. Irrigation of 70 thousand hectare… 1 lakh 41 thousand hectare decreased. In fact it should have gone up further. In which Narmada Dam irrigated 69 thousand hectare in 2007-08, 1 lakh 87 lakh hectare in 2012-13. Actually it should have been done in 18 lakh hectares. Instead, only 10 per cent of irrigation came from the Narmada Dam. Apart from Narmada, there has also been a decrease of 2 lakh hectares in the area irrigated by other big dams.
By not disclosing these figures after Modi became the Prime Minister, the government is hiding other serious matters. Because the irrigation capacity of big and medium dams was 35 lakh 80 thousand hectare. In which 26 lakh 45 thousand hectare capacity was created. On the contrary, in 2014, barely 9 lakh 48 thousand hectares were irrigated. In 2014, only 2 lakh hectares were irrigated against the Narmada Dam’s irrigation potential of 18 lakh hectares. It has been 10 years, but the report of how much irrigation was done in 2023 has not been kept among the public.

major irrigation scheme
Sardar Sarovar, Shetrunji, Ukai, Sipu, Kadana, Hathmati, Dharoi, Vatrak, Panam, Macchu-1, Karajan, Macchu-1, Damanganga, Und-1, Dantiwada, Meshwo, Bhadar, Mahi Phase-1, Sukhi Reservoir Scheme.

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