NEW DELHI: The Centre hopes to make Maharashtra ’s arid regions ‘drought-proof’ in the next five years. For this, it approved a special package of Rs 13,651 crore on Wednesday. The funds will be used to complete 83 minor and eight major and medium irrigation projects of Marathwada , Vidarbha and drought-prone areas elsewhere in the state.

The move will help create additional irrigation potential of 3.77 lakh hectares in the state. Of a total of 91 projects, 66 will come up in Vidarbha followed by 17 in Marathwada. Currently, irrigation facility is available in only 18% area of these two regions.

Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis said, “This [package] is a great boost to Vidarbha, Marathwada and drought-prone areas of Maharashtra. The central government has agreed to give us a NABARD loan.”

While a number of surface minor irrigation projects—irrigation tanks and storage—will be completed by May next year the bigger projects will take time to be fully implemented. The state and the Central Water Commission will jointly monitor the progress of the projects to ensure that they are completed within the specified time-frame.

The projects will help farmers deal with agrarian distress in these regions which have witnessed thousands of suicides over the past several years.

Union water resources minister Nitin Gadkari after meeting the cabinet committee, which approved the special package, said, “Completion of these projects will ensure assured source of water to farmers in the command area of these projects. This will increase crop yield and thereby increase income of the farmers.”

These projects will be significant, especially for the two regions which have reeled under severe drought in 2012 and 2016. Groundwater availability is not adequate in Marathwada and Vidarbha beyond the rainy season.

Of the total allocation of Rs 13,651.61 crore, more than Rs 9,521 crore will be for major and medium projects which require construction of bigger canals and check dams.

The projects under the special package will be in addition to the ongoing 26 major and medium projects in the state which are being funded under the Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana and Accelerated Irrigation Benefit Programme of the water resources ministry. These projects have the potential to irrigate over 8.5 lakh hectares of cultivable land in the state. The target date for completion is December 2019.

As far as the minor irrigation projects are concerned, the focus will be on creating smaller infrastructure like irrigation tanks and storage. Revival of old water bodies will also be a part of these projects The minor irrigation projects will also have components of lifting water by pumps from rivers and transporting it to far-flung areas through pipes.

Total central assistance under the special package to be provided for implementation of the 91 projects is Rs 3,831.41 crore. The rest is to be provided by the government of Maharashtra. The states’ share will be arranged through NABARD.

Gadkari said that implementation of the scheme will generate employment of nearly 341 lakh man-days for unskilled, semi-skilled and skilled workers.

