After having revived 1,833 ex-Malgujari tanks, especially in eastern Vidarbha districts and some parts of western Vidarbha and Marathwada, Maharashtra Government has brought in certain changes in the policy pertaining to rejuvenation of these tanks. A major shift is that the revived ex-Malgujari tanks are to be handed over to water users’ associations (WUAs) or Gram Panchayats (GPs) concerned. Vidarbha Irrigation Development Corporation had undertaken a programme for rejuvenation of 128 ex-Malgujari tanks with irrigation potential above 100 hectares each. Besides, under a special programme, total 1,833 ex-Malgujari tanks were revived. However, said officials, there were still hundreds of such tanks which needed to be repaired. Hence, the Soil and Water Conservation Department of State Government has now brought about certain changes in the existing policy regarding the rejuvenation of ex-Malgujari tanks.

 

As per the changes, most importantly, once an ex-Malgujari tank was rejuvenated, it would be handed over to water users’ associations holding Nistar Rights. If, for any reason, it is not possible to hand over a tank to such water users’ association, the tank will be handed over to GP concerned after obtaining consent of people holding Nistar Rights over the water. The ambit of Soil and Water Conservation Department has been widened from tanks up to 250 hectares of irrigation potential to 600 hectares. Considering this, the department will carry out the repairs of ex-Malgujari tanks under the jurisdiction of Zilla Parishad and State sectors. Now, the ex-Malgujari tanks repaired 10 years or more than that period of time will be eligible for fresh repairs. In case of tanks damaged due to natural disasters, eligibility period for repairs can be less than 10 years also. For repairs, e-tender process will be conducted. Project-based planning approach and phase-wise financial planning will be done for repairs of tanks. Besides, the defect liability period has been defined to be of five years so that the quality of repairs could be maintained.

 

As per the official records, there are 6,700 ex-Malgujari tanks in Vidarbha region, mostly in eastern part under Nagpur Division. These tanks together have irrigation potential of 31,900 hectares. These tanks were constructed more than 300 years ago, and their ownership during the British Rule rested with Malgujars of the time. In 1950, after Independence from the British, the Government took control of these tanks and they came to be called as ex-Malgujari tanks. The tanks with irrigation potential between 0-100 hectares were handed over to Zilla Parishad (ZP), and those with potential above 100 hectares were transferred to Water Resources Department and Water Conservation Department. Originally, these tanks were constructed to store rainwater so as to have provision for protective irrigation of crops. Because, the much of the surface in eastern Vidarbha districts namely Chandrapur, Gadchiroli, Bhandara, and Gondia and eastern parts of Nagpur district, some parts of Nanded in Marathwada region, and parts of Yavatmal in Amravati district of western Vidarbha is metamorphic rock, due to which there is less percolation of rainwater in soil, state the official records. In 2012, a committee headed by Dr Madhukarrao Kimmatkar had submitted its report to the State Government in 2012. The report pointed out that most of the ex-Malgujari tanks badly needed repairs and that they needed to be rejuvenated.