 Early Times Report
CHANDIGARH, May 23: Haryana Chief Minister Sh. Nayab Singh Saini said that the State Government is committed to ensuring adequate irrigation water reaches every field. For this purpose, the Irrigation Department should form farmer groups and construct community tanks for every 10 acres or more of agricultural land. These tanks will be filled with canal water, and irrigation will be carried out through micro-irrigation systems. The Government will provide 85 percent subsidy for the construction of such tanks, said Sh. Nayab Singh Saini.
The Chief Minister said this while chairing a review meeting of the Irrigation and Water Resources Department's five-year action plan under Haryana Vision-2047 held at the Civil Secretariat on Saturday. He said that the department must move beyond traditional irrigation systems and, in line with the concept of "Per Drop - More Crop" of Prime Minister Sh. Narendra Modi, the department must prepare future-ready plans aligned with developed countries that efficiently manage limited water resources, in order to achieve the goals of Viksit Bharat-2047.
He said that despite limited water resources, their optimum utilisation is possible, and departmental schemes must be visible on the ground. He directed that farmers be made aware to reduce open-field irrigation practices. The cost of irrigation for farmers will be minimized, and under the new system, farmers will not need to install tube wells for irrigation.
The Chief Minister directed that this initiative should initially be implemented in nine districts namely Bhiwani, Charkhi Dadri, Gurugram, Mahendragarh, Nuh, Rewari, Hisar, Jhajjar and Sirsa where farmer groups will be formed and community tanks constructed for land holdings of 10 acres or more, with 85 percent government subsidy. He said that water will be supplied to these tanks through canal pipelines, and solar panels will be installed on them.
The Chief Minister said that drip and sprinkler irrigation systems will be implemented in the connected fields, enabling farmers to irrigate crops as per requirement. This will eliminate the need for tubewells and reduce dependence on electricity and water availability. Open-field irrigation will be discontinued, enabling more area to be irrigated with less water. He said that micro-irrigation systems should be introduced in sugarcane and cotton crops from this year, said Sh. Nayab Singh Saini.
The Chief Minister said that the Irrigation Department may initiate tenders this year to convert entire village agricultural land into micro-irrigation systems in the selected nine districts, involving modern agri-technology companies. This will enable farmers to receive irrigation water in a smart and efficient manner without additional expenditure, he said.
The Chief Minister further directed the Principal Secretary, Department of Future, Smt. Amneet P. Kumar, to study irrigation technologies used in developed countries such as Israel and assist in modernising irrigation systems in the State.
The Chief Minister further said that a comprehensive plan should be prepared for repair, renovation, and strengthening of all canals in the State, with fixed timelines, and regular progress reports should be submitted. He said that monthly reviews will be conducted to assess water savings and farmer benefits. |
