Gadkari says focus on building small dams instead of large ones

Ravi S Singh

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, March 13

Union Water Resources Minister Nitin Gadkari on Tuesday indicated the government’s policy shift from the present focus on construction of large dams to smaller projects to increase the country’s irrigation network under Command Areas Development (CAD) programme.

Besides meeting the challenge of scientific and better management of water resources, the change in focus on smaller projects increases the potential to boost agricultural production, he said.

Manifesting the government’s sense of urgency to expedite implementation of CAD, the ministry today organised a daylong conference on the issue which was inaugurated by Gadkari.

“Instead of going for large dams we should explore the possibility of going for check dams, rubber dams and small barrages,” Gadkari said and added that it is time   that redundant technologies and old concepts were junked.

The conference was attended by experts and senior officials of WAPCOS, CWC, NWDA and the ministry.

He was critical of inadequate utilisation of funds allocated for CAD under Accelerated Irrigation Benefit Programme (AIBP).

Batting for new irrigation practices like micro, drip, and sprinklers irrigation, he said they would help save water, besides enhancing agricultural production and would reduce agricultural cost per acre.He  attributed large scale migration of people from rural to urban areas to scarcity of water.  

Command Area Development Programme  in 1974-75, was restructured and renamed as Command Area Development and Water Management (CADWM) Programme in 2004. Its objective is to bridge the gap between the irrigation potential created and actually utilized in large and medium irrigation schemes and to ensure water to the fields.

It  is being implemented under PMKSY. From mid 2016 onwards, the CADWM implementation is focused on the mission mode completion of the 99 priority irrigation projects through NABARD funding.