New irrigation projects next to impossible now,says Tatkare

High on the agenda is to take up the projects that are 75 to almost 100 per cent complete. Across the state,there are 278 projects that need funds for just 25 per cent more work. The total cost requirement for these adds up to Rs 7,378 crore. “We will be able to complete the projects that have completed 75 per cent work in the next three years. And that will be go a long way in mitigating the water crisis in the state,” Tatkare said. Admitting that the annual budget of the state has its own limitations,he said: “There are various factors that lead to cost escalation and inordinate delay in executing a project.” Conceding that it would be wrong to dismiss the big projects as total failure in Maharashtra,Tatkare said: “Though I am not ruling out major policy changes in the irrigation sector,I would emphasise that big dams were required for massive water storage.”

Every region within Maharashtra has its own geographical requirements based on the climate and soil conditions. Therefore,it would be difficult to replicate the same irrigation project across the state. Stating that the state should have given more impetus to water conservation projects,he argued: “The necessity for big irrigation projects (dams and barrages) were also taken on urgent basis to settle the inter-state water problems.”

Asserting that the criticism of the ministry for failure in creating irrigation potential was unfair,Tatkare said: “My department believes the irrigation potential generated was 5.1 per cent. The total investment in the irrigation projects in last six decades has been Rs 80,000 crore.”

Admitting that there have been delays and cost escalations,he said: “We cannot overlook the fact that land acquisition and relief and rehabilitation often become the biggest hurdle.” Citing the example of Gosikhurd National Irrigation Project,he said: “The three-decade-old project has been completed and ready for operation. But there are three villages with some 700 families whose rehabilitation has been stalled. After three packages,the problems still persist. Had we overcome the relief and rehabilitation,we could have saved 32 TMC water through Gosikhurd.”

“In 2001-02,the Madhav Chitale Committee had made significant recommendations for the Ministry of Irrigation,Revenue and Agriculture. I admit we should revisit the irrigation policies and take corrective steps where necessary. But I don’t agree that the potential generated was only 0.1 per cent,as is being debated across the state. The Madhav Chitale Committee,which has been constituted by the government,is addressing all the critical aspects,including fixing of accountability and punishment for the wrongdoings in the irrigation department,” he said.

Tatkare said the purpose of the committee was to study the reasons for delays in projects,changes in designs of the projects,reasons for cost escalation and fix accountability. “I don’t want to dispute the irrigation statistics with the Department of Agriculture. They have their ways of justifying and reasoning the figures. I am concerned about the projects that are under way,completed and have irrigation potential. In that sense,there can be differences in actual potential created and what is operational,” he said.

The minister argued that had the state failed to generate irrigation potential,sugarcane cultivation and horticulture could not have seen any growth here. “In 2004-05,we had to provide a financial package of Rs 200 crore to cane growers because of the additional crop that would not be crushed and remain standing. Sugarcane is a water-guzzling crop. Even in backward and drought-hit Marathwada,sugarcane cultivation has increased,which proves the irrigation potential has gone up substantially. Whether it is Ahmednagar,Nashik,or Pune,the farm activities have multiplied,” Tatkare said. He added that urbanisation in Maharashtra at 50 per cent was highest in the country,which raised the demand for water not only for domestic but also industries.

“The industries along Nashik,Aurangabad,Pune have seen a quantum jump in the last one decade. The power plants require huge water. The industrial and agriculture growth in Maharashtra should be attributed to the big dams,” said the water resources minister.