Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: “The irrigation department has taken the decision to bring a total of 80 MLD water from the west-flowing Ulhas and Waitarna valleys to the Godavari Valley. Similarly, the decisions have also been taken for water supply, irrigation, employment, energy generation and tourism development,” said state water resources minister Dr Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil.
He was speaking with the newsmen after the Godavari Marathwada Irrigation Development Corporation's 87th meeting held here on Saturday. Several pending issues of the corporation were discussed during the meeting. These included updating the data bank of the lands owned by the corporation, various development works in Parbhani and issues related to Soygaon in Sillod taluka.
Minister of State Meghna Bordikar, MLA Abdul Sattar, MLA Vilas Bhumre, Executive Director Santosh Tiramanwar, Chief Engineer Prakash Misal, Chief Administrator Jayant Gawali, Superintending Engineer Rajendra Dhodapkar and other officers were present.
Dr Vikhe Patil said that the decision to implement the floating solar project has been taken during the meeting, which will help to reduce the electricity bills of the consumers. A proposal for the collection of lakes with the expense of Rs 225 crore at Sukali and Digras to remove the irrigation backlog of the Hingoli district has been proposed for the administrative sanction. The work of the closed pipe system at the Wakod and Shivana Talki projects in the Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar district has been sanctioned, which will benefit 9,217 hectares of irrigation.
A decision has been taken to transform the Kolhapur reservoirs of the Pimpalgaon Walan project to level reservoirs at the expense of Rs 25 crore. It will help around 2,000 hectares of land. Sant Dnyaneshwar Garden will be developed with the help of an external agency.
An integrated nature tourism development proposal with the expense of Rs 150 crore in Majalgaon taluka has been sought. Under the Tuljabhavani development plan, Ramdara collection lake will be beautified, and a boating project will be launched. The corporation will initiate the action to grant the tender of fishing in the dams. Similarly, development works will be initiated in Sonpeth taluka, Dharashiv district, Selu and Manwat, Purna and Jintur, Dr Vikhe Patil said.
The decisions taken will help the development of water supply, irrigation, power generation, tourism and local employment in the Marathwada region, he added.
