Burhanpur: A delegation of farmers from Jhirnya village in Burhanpur district met the state agriculture minister and Khargone district in-charge Kamal Patel at Harda under the leadership of former cabinet minister Archana Chitnis and apprised them of the lack of irrigation and drinking water facilityin the area.
The delegation informed that most of the villages of tribal-dominated Jhirnya tehsil are deprived of irrigation and drinking water facility. Since the water level here has also gone below 1000-1200 feet, it has further deepened the problems of the farmers.
This area is economically backward due to tribal majority. The farmer - labourers of the area are forced to migrate to other states. Due to non-availability of water, farmers have also reduced cattle rearing, due to which farmers have now become dependent on chemical fertilizers instead of cow dung and as result of exessive use of chemical fertlizers, fertility of the land is getting reduced very much. The situation is so dire that in the coming few years the area between Satpura and Vindhyachal, Narmada and Tapti may become barren and become a desert.
According to the Narmada Utilization Act 2024, the Narmada water allotted to Madhya Pradesh is to be fully utilized by 2024. Otherwise the remaining water will be allocated to other states of Gujarat, Maharashtra and Rajasthan. In building Indira Sagar Dam (ISP) located in our Khandwa Lok Sabha constituency, 44345 hectares of land in 249 villages including Harsud was submerged and 30739 families were displaced and made a huge sacrifice.
But it is a matter of great sadness that the Lok Sabha constituency, which has suffered the pain of migration and displacement, but the villages of the same Lok Sabha constituency have been left unirrigated.
Chitnis and delegation requested Patel to approve Jhirnya Micro Lift Irrigation Project keeping in mind the struggles of the farmers of the area.
About Jhirnya Canal Project
Proposed irrigated land - 35200 hectares, the number of villages to be benefited – 78. In which 49 villages of Jhirnya, 25 of Pandhana and four villages of Khandwa are included.
Availability of water for irrigation 138.10 million cubic metre (MC), project cost and benefit ratio 1.91 and project cost - Rs 1048.37 crore, discharge water for irrigation - 12.32 cumec, from main canal near lifting point, Dodwa, length of pipeline - 48.85 km and The number of power stations will be 4. Presently the status of the project is yet to be administratively approved.
