Maharashtra Updates Progress on Kukadi, Chilhewadi and Chaskaman Irrigation Projects

Water being a State subject, the planning, execution, and management of irrigation projects fall under the respective State Governments. The Government of India provides technical support and partial financial assistance for eligible projects, while the Central Water Commission (CWC) appraises the techno-economic viability of major and medium inter-State projects.

The Maharashtra Government has reported ongoing work on three irrigation projects in the Shirur Lok Sabha constituency—Kukadi, Chilhewadi Medium Irrigation Project and Chaskaman.

The Kukadi Project comprises five dams—Dimbhe, Yedgaon, Manikdoh, Wadaj and Pimpalgaon Joge—along with their canal network. Main canal works for all dams have been completed. The distribution system is in its advanced stages. Dimbhe dam and its left bank canal are complete, while the right bank canal is finished up to 102 km out of 116 km.

In the Chilhewadi Medium Irrigation Project, the main canal pipeline from Chainage 0 to 28/263 is complete. Work between Chainage 28/263 and 39/080 is still pending.

For the Chaskaman Project, the dam, canal earthworks and canal structures are completed. Of the 144 km left bank canal, 16 km of lining has been finished.

Between 2002–03 and 2008–09, the Centre provided Rs 270 crore to the Kukadi Project and Rs 95.38 crore to the Chaskaman Project. These projects are now being executed through state resources. Budget and expenditure over the last five years stand as follows: Kukadi Project: Rs 757.55 crore budgeted and fully spent; Chilhewadi Project: Rs 41.27 crore budgeted and fully spent; Chaskaman Project: Rs 114.98 crore budgeted with Rs 14.19 crore utilised.

To address the issue of development of irrigation in drought prone areas in the country, special provisions have been made in the criteria for selection of projects and central funding ratio under Accelerated Irrigation Benefits Programme of PMKSY. If a project has more than 50% command in drought prone area, 50% advance stage criteria has been relaxed and the project can be included since beginning of the construction with enhanced funding ratio of 60 (Centre): 40 (State), in the proportion of command area falling in drought prone area.

63 major and medium irrigation projects benefitting draught prone areas have been included under Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchai Yojna-Accelerated Irrigation Benefits Programme, out of which 16 projects are benefitting drought prone areas of Maharashtra. 16.40 lakh hectare irrigation potential has been created in project benefitting drought prone areas in India since 2016, out of them 3.10 lakh hectare is in Maharashtra.