NAGPUR: Energy minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule has directed Mahagenco, Maharashtra Energy Development Agency (MEDA) and water resources department (WRD) to form a committee and draw up plans for supplying solar power to
lift irrigation schemes (LIS). The committee's report has to be submitted in a month. The decision was taken in a meeting attended by irrigation minister Girish Mahajan.
Avinash Surve, executive director of Vidarbha Irrigation Development Corporation (VIDC), will be the chairman of this committee. The other members of the committee will be Mahagenco director
Vikas Jaideo, MSEDCL director Satish Chavan, Mahatransco director Ganpat Munde and MEDA additional director general
Purushottam Jadhav.
The committee will take stock of land available near LIS for setting up solar panels. It will find the best way for realizing the model.
Bawankule and Mahajan decided to approach
Madhya Pradesh (MP) government through union transport minister
Nitin Gadkari for releasing water into Totladoh dam so that farmers catered by left and right bank Pench canals can be given water for irrigation. Due to poor rainfall, the Totladoh dam does not have much water for rabi crop.
Mahajan issued directives to VIDC officials regarding some irrigation projects of the district. These include Satrapur LIS, Chichghat LIS and
Lakhmapur minor irrigation project.
