Providing a major boost to ongoing efforts to strengthen the irrigation backbone in arid Vidarbha Region, the Maharashtra Government has sanctioned construction of Chichghat Lift Irrigation Scheme (LIS), it would come up at confluence of Kanhan and Wainganga rivers in Nagpur District. Disclosing this, Kishor Damah, Executive Engineer, Irrigation Project Division, Nagpur, said that the site chosen for the project is in Kuhi tehsil and reason for narrowing on Kanhan river is that the river has a perennial flow. Further advantage of the location for pumping station, at Sawangi village, it is about 12 km from upstream from Wainganga river, and the water is going to be lifted at height of around 14 meters.

 

Chichghat LIS is proposed on Wainganga river, it is sub-basin of Godavari Basin. The project aims to provide assured water to command area of 3715 Ha of agriculture land and same is divided in 1787 chaks of 18 villages of Kuhi tehsil. Further with an aim to ensure cent per cent utilisation of water, the Irrigation Department is going for gravity underground pipe distribution network (PDN), stated Damah. He added that the revised administrative nod for the project was received in March this year, although the project was conceptualised first in year 2007-2008 and that time cost was pegged Rs 55 crore. Further instead of open supply system of LIS wherein water is distributed to farmers through canals, the PDN offers much better result as it negates chances of evaporation, plus in long run maintenance cost are on the lower side. So in the end, every drop of water is utilised for the intended purpose and the farmers get required and measured quality of water needed for irrigating the crops, and it would take 8-10 litres per second assured flow from each of the chak outlet.

 

The actual discharge rate assumed in the LIS drawings is about 0.408 LPS/Ha, and Irrigation Department in its survey has further assumed average farm holding of 1.5 Ha. To a query, Damah said, “Irrigation Department has wrapped up land needed for housing the project, it is about 5.48 Ha of private owned land for head work and about 5.40 Ha of forest land. As of date the estimated cost for LIS is pegged at Rs 131 crore. The reason for zeroing in on Sawangi village is that same lies on the right bank of Kanhan river and it also accounts of back water from Gosikhurd Dam, the biggest irrigation project in Vidarbha Region. The beneficiary villages would be Sawangi, Chapegadi, Kharabi, Sawargaon, Salwa, Bhivkund, Devalikala, Devali Khurd, Khursapar, Sawarkhenda, Chapeghat, Takli, Aamti, Rajola, Bori (Naik), Awarmara, Hardoli, and Navegaon (Maratha), and as per survey the villagers take cotton, soyabean, paddy and vegetables in Kharif season while in Rabi they take wheat, vegetable plus chickpea.

 

Apart from that farmers also take turmeric or ginger in small portion besides chilli. Also there are some orchards and sugarcane at some places. Irrigation Division is in processing of selecting agency for supply, construction, erection, installation, testing, commissioning plus operation and maintenance for a period of 5 years for the LIS project. Chichghat Project pump capacity would be 321 Horse Powers 3 pumps. The area falls in modern rainfall zone having average 1000-2000 mm rainfall.