MP: Harda to be 100% irrigated district soon

Harda(Madhya Pradesh): Farmers Welfare and Agriculture Development Minister Kamal Patel on Tuesday reviewed the irrigation facilities in Harda district with officials of Narmada Valley Development Authority (NVDA).

He said as per the instructions of Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Harda would soon become 100% irrigated district. An action plan has been prepared for the areas deprived of irrigation facilities in the district.

Patel asked NVDA, Water Resources and district officials to take prompt action to make Harda a fully irrigated district. The project administrator of Morand Ganjal and Hoshangabad Barrage Project Implementation Unit, Seoni-Malwa, DR Aakre said that Shaheed Ilap Singh Micro Lift Irrigation Project was proposed to provide irrigation facility to 118 villages in the district.

Minister Patel asked officials to take steps to complete project on time. He said farmers of 68 villages of Handia tehsil of Harda district, 25 of Khirkiya, 21 of Timarni and 4 villages of Harda tehsil would benefit. Irrigation facility will be available in 26, 890 hectares under the project. With this, Narmada water will be available to farmers through pipe canal.

Work will start on 12 irrigation projects in Narmada valley in Madhya Pradesh at a cost of Rs 26,716 crore. On completion of these projects, irrigation facility will be available in about 5.90 lakh hectare area.

The implementation of all these projects will ensure the use of 3.50 MAF (million acre feet) of Narmada water from Madhya Pradesh's share. On completion of all works in Narmada valley, 38 lakh hectares of land will be irrigated.