April 21, 2018
Major improvements in irrigation infrastructure and flood management
The State Irrigation and Waterways Department has been able to make considerable progress in the development of irrigation and flood management, including communicating about floods.
There has been a major revamping of the irrigation infrastructure, timely implementation of projects and improvements in the monitoring mechanism with respect to reservoirs operations and other issues.
Achievements during financial year 2017-18 regarding project implementation
- Coverage of 5,25,600 acres for rabi/boro irrigation through government-constructed canals, the highest ever in the last four decades
- Another 1,32,200 acres being irrigated by using the tidal flow in drainage channels
- Restoration of irrigation potential in 96,000 acres across the state through the implementation of a cluster of surface irrigation projects, including 10 check dams
- Provision of surface water for irrigating 20,75,600 acres during the kharif season and 5,25,600 acres during the rabi/boro season
- Improvement of flood embankments and protection of riverbanks across a total length of 393 km through a series of projects, including Improvement of Embankments in Kandi and Adjoining Areas and Reconstruction of Alia-affected Sundarbans Embankments
- Decongestion of 225 km of drainage channels in the districts of North 24 Parganas, South 24 Parganas, Purba Medinipur, Paschim Medinipur, Howrah, Hooghly and Kolkata through a series of projects, including the Kaliaghai-Kapaleswari-Baghai Basin Drainage Scheme
- Construction of 70 reinforced cement concrete (RCC) bridges on irrigation canals and drainage channels in remote areas
Achievements of the flood management programme (FMP)
- Despite the cessation of funding by the Central Government, the State Government has either managed to complete or is on target to complete major projects on flood management by usinbg its own funds, proving once again the commitment of the Trinamool Congress Government.
- Flood mitigation and drainage improvement schemes in Kandi and adjoining areas in Murshidabad and Birbhum districts to be completed by June 2019
- Major portion of Kaliaghai-Kapaleswari-Baghai Basin Drainage Scheme completed; the rest to be completed within next two years
- Reconstruction of another 39 km of Cyclone Aila-affected embankments in the Sundarbans to be completed during FY 2018-19
- Thus we see that through the development of a large-scale irrigation infrastructure and effective flood mitigation programmes, the State Government has been able to provide a lot of respite to a majority of the citizens.
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