Early Times Report
Jammu, Apr 4: Despite spending hundreds of crores to complete various irrigation schemes to give boost to the agriculture sector of the state which has been degrading with each passing day, the Irrigation Department has failed to utilise those schemes defeating their very purpose.
Sources told Early Times that in order to give impetus to the agriculture sector of the State Centre Government had introduced several irrigation schemes under Accelerated Irrigation Benefit Programme and for materializing these schemes on ground, hundreds of crores of funds were pumped by concerned ministry but unfortunately Irrigation Department could not make best use of such schemes.
"The Irrigation Department had to create Cultivable Command Area by the installing Lift Irrigation Schemes but against the envisaged Cultivable Command Area of 30,000 acres, only 21,000 acres was created and 14,000 acres i.e 68 % was being utilized in respect of 51 out of total 90 LISs completed up to 2002-03 wherein Jammu has 31; Kashmir has 17," they said.
They further said that very poor performance of irrigation schemes has been observed which is clearly indicated from the fact that in 11 schemes Irrigation Potential utilised was less than 25 per cent, in 18 schemes the utilization ranged between 25 and 50 per cent. In remaining 16 schemes it was above 50 per cent. "This was due to low voltage of electricity, shortage of revenue staff and rapid urbanisation. Out of 12 schemes completed during 2003-08, against the IP of 3,100 hectares created in 4 schemes, the utilization was 600 hectares," they said.
They said that despite many reminders and directions by Union Ministry to take appropriate action to utilize the created irrigation potential a very little efforts are being made to utilize it in full. The majority of such schemes belong to Kathua Division, Rajouri Division. |
