IN a first of its kind Lift Irrigation Scheme (LIS), Irrigation Department is planning to take up construction of one at Ghodazari in Chandrapur district, the aim is to increase the storage capacity of Ghodazari Dam. Normally, LIS are planned to deepen the irrigation network, reaching out to last of the command area. This time, however, the Gosikhurd Project under Nagpur Division of Irrigation Division opted for Ghodazari LIS. The current stock in the dam is unable to meet the requirements envisaged in the plan, that of providing irrigation to the command area plus full drinking water supply to the villages attached to the dam.

 

The pump house of LIS is envisaged at 17,213m of Ghodazari Branch that is located on Right Bank Canal (RBC) of Gosikhurd Project, reveals the note of Irrigation Department. The cost of the project as of now is pegged at Rs 322 crore. With Ghodazari, the total number of LIS on Goshikurd waters would increased to 11. Perhaps, this will be last lift irrigation scheme as engineers say as of now no more scope is visible.

 

The project tagged as national interest is also heading to its full potential as all construction activities envisaged under it are nearing completion. At the most in next two-years, Goshikhurd Project full potential would be achieved, said Suhas More, Executive Engineer, Ghodazari Division. More said right now the Ghodazari Dam located in Nagbhid tehsil of Chandrapur district, gross storage capacity is around 50 million cubic metres (MCM), of that about 43.16 MCM is live storage capacity. The sub-canal network extends toward parts of neighbouring districts, mostly Bhandara and its location is near Nagbhid, about 65 km from Bhandara. Gosikhurd Dam on the Wainganga River has live capacity of 740,000 million litres (740 MCM) and it feeds sub-canals in the region, providing irrigation and drinking water to districts of Nagpur, Bhandara and Chandrapur. As of now the plan for LIS envisages tapping into the right bank canal of Gosikhurd Project to lift the water and pump into Ghodazari tank.

 

More said recently State Government reallocated water allocation from Gosikhurd wherein 164.67 TMC2 surplus water was diverted to other places. Vidarbha Irrigation Development Corporation (VIDC) allocated 54.62 TMC2 water from Butinala irrigation project to be release in the right bank canal of Gosikhurd Project. Part of the water would be diverted through LIS into Ghodazari Dam. About 17 villages are linked to Ghodazari Dam for their requirement of drinking water supply. Also 3400 Ha of farm land is dependent on the dam for the irrigation water. More stated that the present stock in the dam is insufficient to meet the farm and drinking water requirements simultaneously. Hence the LIS is proposed to ensure that water can be release to enable farmers for taking crops in two cycles. Right now due to lesser water in the dam, the farmers can take only opt for one crop.The last villages on the dam are not getting required quantity of drinking water and that would be resolved once the LIS is completed.