Desilting of 1,963 dams has helped 50,000 farmers: Maharashtra govt

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had announced the desilting of dams in May last year. (File Photo)

Almost 1.4 lakh cubic metres of silt have been removed from 1,963 dams across Maharashtra in a year and the silt, rich in nutrients, has been distributed free of cost benefitting 50,000 farmers, the government has said. Principal Secretary, Water Resources and Management department, I S Chahal on Saturday said, “Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had announced the desilting of dams in May last year. A committee was formed to review the work in the last one year. It has yielded positive results benefitting 50,000 farmers.”

Under the scheme, called ‘Gaal Mukta Dharan, Gaal Yukta Shivar’, the state government has decided to desilt all the dams across the state to create additional water holding capacity. Another aspect relates to distributing the silt taken out from the dams to farmers free of cost. According to officials, the silt removed from the dams is rich in nutrients, enriches the soil and helps boost crop production.