ગુજરાતી
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Canal worth Rs 225 crore washed away in rain, Sukhi
Poor work by contractor Shivalaya Infra Project
Ahmedabad, July 16, 2025
Questions have been raised on the work of filling the gap in the new canal being built at a cost of Rs 225 crore in the Sukhi Reservoir Project of Chhota Udaipur district. Bills of Rs 6 crore have been made despite the corruption being exposed even before the inauguration. Therefore 92 villages will not be able to get irrigation. Despite the poor work done by the contractor Shivalaya Infra Project, Irrigation Minister Kunwar Bavaliya and his assistant minister Mukesh Patel did not take any action. Who laid the foundation stone of the canal?
Union Irrigation Minister and BJP President IS Chandrakant Raghunath Patil.
The Sukhi Reservoir Project built in Dungravant village of Chhota Udaipur district is the largest irrigation project in the district. The construction of canals of this project, which started in 1978, was completed in 1985-86, which provided irrigation facility to 17,094 hectares of 92 villages of Pavijetpur and Bodeli taluka of Chhota Udepur and 3,607 hectares of irrigated area of 39 villages of Panchmahal district. This project brought prosperity in the lives of farmers, but after years, when the condition of the canals deteriorated, the government decided to modernize them.
The Bhoomi Pujan ceremony was done by Irrigation Minister Kunwar Bavaliya. MP Geetaben Rathwa, Rajya Sabha MP Naran Rathwa, MLA Rajendrasinh Rathwa, MLA Abhesingh Tadvi, District Panchayat President Malkaben Patel, District BJP President Upendrabhai Rathwa were present in the inauguration program, so now people are demanding answers from them on social media.
Two years ago, Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel had decided to improve and modernize the right and left bank main canals, branch canals and minor canals based on the Sukhi Jalaja project irrigating 92-39 villages of Panchmahal in Chhota Udepur at a cost of Rs 225 crore.
To provide irrigation water to 92 villages of 17 thousand hectares area in Pavijetpur Bodeli and Sankheda talukas of Chhota Udepur district, the government had allocated a grant of Rs 225 crore for the renovation of the canals.
These old canals were built in the year 1986 and were in a dilapidated condition. The Sukhi Jalaja Project Office had given monopoly to a contractor named Shivalaya Infra Project of Vadodara to break these canals and build new ones. The condition of the canals has worsened due to the contractor’s haphazard construction of canals and the use of substandard concrete which got washed away in the first rain itself.
While the work was going on, locals complained to Executive Engineer Kishan Sorathia that shoddy work was being done, but no attention was paid and the canals developed cracks. Corruption has been exposed in the work of Sukhi Reservoir Project in Chhota Udaipur district and the Chief Engineer has summoned the Executive Engineer in Gandhinagar with all the reports and sought an explanation. The officials have failed and the canals have started breaking even before the inauguration.
Serious questions of corruption have been raised on government work and contractors.
Government
Out of the 38 km long canal line, 21 km has been renovated, of which 16 km work has been completed. At some places, the canal has been damaged due to stones and wood in the pipes for rainwater drainage. Since it is under the guarantee period, the repair work will be done by the contractor.
Statement
During the inauguration, Water Resources Minister Kunwar Bawalia said that the facilities will be more efficient. The 663 km long extension system including right and left bank main canal will irrigate 17094 hectares of land of 14796 farmers of 92 villages of Chhota Udaipur district. Renovation of canal will provide better irrigation water to this area.
A total of 20701 hectares of land of 18500 irrigators of 131 villages including 3607 hectares of land of 3699 farmers of 39 villages of Panchmahal district has been brought under irrigation.
Minister of State for Water Resources Mukesh Patel said that Sukhi Reservoir Project has been designed to provide irrigation benefits exclusively to the tribal areas located at the confluence of Sukhi and Bharaj rivers near Sangdhara and Khos villages in Pavi-Jetpur taluka of Chhota Udaipur district. Construction of distribution structures including Sukhi Dam, Right Bank Main Canal, Left Bank Main Canal started in the year 1978 and was completed during the year 1985-86.
Mukesh Patel said that since the canals and their structures of Sukhi reservoir were constructed many years ago and the structures were made of rubble and bricks, they have become dilapidated in the present condition. Therefore, strengthening and modernization work of canals and structures is very necessary for smooth and full flow of water in the entire canal network, and that is why this important decision has been taken by the government in the interest of farmers.
The danger level of the dam is 148.30 meters.
https://x.com/DDNewsGujarati/status/1160114906445729792
Sukhi Canal Malalu
Canal length 3.10 km. (left)
38.50 km. (right)
Capacity 4.37 m³/s (left)
12.82 m³/s (right)
Total irrigated area 31532 hectares
Agricultural irrigated area 20701 hectares
Dam
Type: Earth and masonry
Base rock – granite, igneous and adobe
Maximum height from base of foundation 38 m
Length at top of dam 4007 m (earthen dam)
Total reinforcement elements
Concrete 0.0327 million m³/s
Masonry work 0.102 million m³/s
Earthwork 4.579 million m³10 (Google translation from Gujarati)
