West Bengal Chief Minister Ms Mamata Banerjee on Sunday announced that a Rs 500 crore project to construct around 800 check dams, water harvesting structures and surface flow minor irrigation schemes in the three Jangalmahal districts of Bankura, Purulia and West Midnapore and in Birbhum.
The scheme will help in improved productivity in the agriculture sector by preventing soil erosion and by recharging ground water acquifers. The scheme has been christened – Jalatirtha.
The West Bengal Chief Minister informed, “Around 800 structures like Check Dams, Water Harvesting Structures and Surface Flow Minor Irrigation Schemes will be constructed under Jalatirtha, which will help irrigate area of nearly 32,000 hectares benefitting around 64,000 farmers. Total cost of the Scheme will be around Rs.500 Crore”.
The West Bengal Government, since 2011 had taken up a project ‘Jal Dharo Jal Bharo’ under the rain water harvesting scheme and completed re-excavation of 817 tanks and 7,319 water conservation and harvesting structures till December 2014.