World Bank to aid dam modernisation in MP

Bhopal, May 31 : In a major initiative to augment irrigation facilities with World Bank assistance, the Madhya Pradesh government has embarked upon the Rs 1919 crore water sector restructuring project for modernisation of 654 small and medium dams spread over 30 districts.

The six-year project aimed at modernisation of dams to restore its irrigation potential would benefit over five lakh people in five river basins of Chambal, Betwa, Sindh, Tons and Ken, official sources said today.

While majority of the dams being modernised by state-of-the art technique were built prior to 1986, some were more than 90 years old. Water collection in the reservoirs of these dams was much less than its designed capacity due to lack of proper maintenance and improvement. The canals are also in a state of disrepair.

Along with restoring the storage capacity, the canals will be repaired to ensure that water reached the farms at the tail-end, the sources said.

A special feature of the project was that the farmers receiving irrigation water would also be provided the benefit of latest techniques for improved farming, horticultuire, animal husbandry and pisciculture.

The state government has prepared a detailed project report for securing loan and assistance from the World Bank for the project being implemented jointly by Water Resources, Animal Husbandry, Horticulture and Fisheries departments, besides agriculture universities.

The districts covered under the project include: Indore, Neemuch, Mandsaur, Shajapur, Rajgarh, Bhind, Morena, Sheopur, Gwalior, Datia, Shivpuri, Guna, Vidisha, Tikamgarh, Chhatarpur, Rewa, Panna, Damoh, Ashoknagar, Bhopal, Sehore, Sidhi, Katni, Satna, Raisen, Sagar, Dewas, Dhar, Ratlam and Ujjain.

One of the oldest dams in Madhya Pradesh is Harsi project in Gwalior district built between 1928 and 1935 at a cost of Rs 92 lakh. The dam and its canals are being modernised at a cost of Rs 124.75 crore to realise its designed irrigation capacity of 58,158 hectare in 200 villages.

Modernisation include concrete lining and other consolidation works. Cross regulators would be fixed for proper water distribution and sluice gates renovated to check water misuse.

UNI