State redraws its irrigation map

Govt to revise command areas of major dams in view of urbanisation,industrialisation

Written by KapilDave
Gandhinagar | July 26, 2012 04:33 AM IST

3 min read

The state government has ordered a revision in the command area plan of major dams in the state like Ukai on Tapi river,Mahi on Shedhi river and Dharoi on Sabarmrati river in view of rapid urbanisation,industrialisation and conversion of agricultural land for non-agricultural and commercial use,sources in the states Water Resources and Water Supply department said.

For the last two-three decades,command areas were not revised and hence the revision. Urbanised,industrialised areas and land converted to non-agriculture status will be removed from command areas while new areas will be added, they said,adding this will help improve irrigation.

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In the first phase,the revision will involve 3.5 lakh hectares of command area of Ukai dam which includes urban areas of Surat,Navsari,Vapi,Valsad,Vyara,Bardoli and Ankleshwar. These areas have witnessed heavy industrialisation and urbanisation and so there will be huge chunk of areas which do not require irrigation water now. Another revision is going on for 2.5 lakh hectares of command area of Mahi dam in south Gujarat and Dharoi dam project in north Gujarat. Mahi projects irrigation command area includes Nadiad,Anand,Matar,Petlad,Sojitra,Amod etc.,which also have witnessed rapid urbanisation. Visanagar,Vadnagar and other towns in the Dharoi command area are also turning into be non-agriculture areas. A survey is being done by the irrigation department,which is likely to be over in the next few months. Once the new plan is ready,the government will notify the new command areas, they said.

According to officials,there are 18 major dam projects in the state whose irrigation command areas are being revised. This excludes Sardar Sarovar Naramda dam project,which at its optimum level will provide irrigation water to around 18 lakh hectares as per the old plan. At present,it is providing irrigation water to around 4 lakh hectares.

Though there is no official plan for a revision of its command areas,Sardar Sarovar Narmada Nigam Ltd (SSNNL) has already decommanded 41,000 hectares falling in Dholera and Sanand Special Investment Region (SIR) and is on the verge of denotifying another 42,000 hectares soon. Gradually,around 4 lakh hectares of command area,which the government has earmarked for SIRs,SEZs or industrial parks,will be decommanded.

S Jagadeesan,managing director of SSNNL,said the corporation at present did not have any plans for revision of the Narmada dams irrigation command area.