The Consultative
Committee of the Ministry of Water Resources was informed here
today that the Command Area Development (CAD) Programme has
resulted in better utilisation of irrigation potential created,
increase in intensity of irrigation, improvement in the agricultural
practices adopted by farmers, equity in water distribution,
increase in production / productivity and farmers’ income from
irrigated lands through optimal use of water resources.
The Union Water
Resources Minister, Shri Arjun Charan Sethi presiding over today’s
Consultative Committee of the Ministry told the members that
a number of evaluation studies in the field has revealed many
lacunae in the programme implementation. He further informed
the Members of Parliament that the Centrally Sponsored Command
Area Development Programme was started in 1974-75 for optimum
utilisation of irrigation potential. Under the scheme Central
assistance on matching basis is being provided to the State
Governments for On-Farm Development Works such as construction
of field channels, field drains, enforcement of Warabandi, land
leveling and shaping, reclamation of waterlogged areas etc.
for irrigated agricultural development on a sustainable basis.
Since 1974 up till March, 2002 the Ministry has provided a Central
assistance of Rs. 2452 crore to the State Governments and an
area of 15.75 mha. has been covered under the On-Farm Development
Works. During 2002-03, a Central assistance of Rs. 148 crore
is proposed to be provided to the State Governments. The scheme
is being implemented in 27 States and 2 Union Territories wherein
276 irrigation projects have so far benefited from the Central
assistance provided under the scheme.
He further
said that during the X Plan the programme is being restructured
to make it more beneficial to the farmers. An outlay of Rs.
1200/- crore has been kept for the restructured programme for
the remaining four years of the X Plan. Shri Sethi also informed
the Members of Parliament that the year 2003 has been declared
as the Fresh Water Year and the Ministry has drawn up year-long
awareness programme.
Appreciating the
effectiveness of the Programme for the farmers, the Members
of Parliament put forth the problem of Sea water ingress in
coastal areas of Tamilnadu and Orissa and desired that some
schemes should be taken up to check this problem. Secretary,
Ministry of Water Resources informed that French assisted project
is likely to be launched shortly to tackle the problem of Sea
water ingress. Shri A Krishnaswamy also raised the issue of
diversion of water by Kerala from the lower Bhavani river.
