Union Govt allots Rs 3,250 cr for Vidarbha intensive irrigation development project

The government of India's agriculture ministry has sanctioned Rs 3,250 crore for the Vidarbha Intensive Irrigation Development Project (VIIDP).

This money will be received over a period of five years, of which Rs 300 crore was received for 2012-13,

the state government has, in consultation with ministry of water resources, National Rainfed Area Authority (NRAA) and department of land resources, submitted a proposal for the development of intensive irrigation in the cotton growing belt of Vidarbha to the Union government.

The broad strategy and area of interventions under the project include conservation measures like broad base with furrows (BBF) and graded bunding, construction of farm ponds, series of check dams, desiltation and deepening of nullah at completed check dams, expansion of micro-irrigation system and supply of water lifting devices, minor irrigation projects, restoration of minor irrigation potential, lift irrigation system, impounding of streams of existing Kolhapur type weirs and formation of water users associations with the help of NGOs.

The programme will be implemented in eight cotton growing districts in Vidarbha region, Buldhana, Akola, Washim, Amravati, Yavatmal, Wardha, Chandrapur and Nagpur, and the state department of agriculture will work as the nodal agency, with all the funds coming from the government of India. Additional fund allocation of Rs 3,250 crore over and above Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY) for a period of five years will be allotted.

Source: TOI