Irrigation Deptt given nod to use water cess for maintenance work

Staff Reporter

Maharashtra Government has given assent for use of cess collected through supply of water for undertaking proper maintenance of the dams and canals. At the same time, Irrigation Department has also ordered transfer of completed projects for its upkeep and carrying out repairs in time to the respective Corporations that are set-up in different regions of the State. Maharashtra Government has come out with comprehensive guidelines regarding maintenance practices of dams and canals for the Irrigation Department in light of adoption of Dams Safety Act 2021. The salient point of the Act is that henceforth in case of any major breach, responsibility will be fixed on the officers for ignoring Distress Condition of the irrigation assets. Hence Irrigation Department has clubbed past directives to streamline the procedure to be adopted while undertaking measures for proper rehabilitation and maintenance of dams and other irrigation assets.

The directives also acknowledged the fact that these days, manpower shortage is a major cause of concern for the Department as several posts are vacant as per the sanctioned staffing pattern. Hence, the Irrigation Department has directed field officers to increasingly take recourse for using the latest advancement in technology and outsourcing to tide over the shortage of manpower. This is also necessary as once the staffer retires, the post is also surrendered which is a major challenge these days as work load has increased with creation of new irrigation assets in the State. The Government decision also lays out a roadmap for the field officers to balance the management of command area through the realisation from supply of raw water to various end users and also ensure testing and repairs and rehabilitation works that of dams and also the lift irrigation schemes and paying the power bills, office expenses and establishment cost. Moreover the Corporations also has to return 25 per cent of water cess collected to Water Users Society. Thus, an uphill task lies ahead for the Irrigation Department and they would have to rely heavily on State aid for undertaking major rehabilitation and repair works, probably through enhanced budgetary outlay in the coming years.

As per the guidelines, the regular repairs of irrigation projects would include repairs of dam and canal to plug leakages, repairs to lining of canal and removal of weeds, removal of silt and grass in canals and in all, 18 items are listed in this section. The second aspect concerns minor irrigation projects wherein permission from concerned Superintending Engineers be taken and for Major and Medium category of dams, the responsibility would rest with concerned Chief Engineer. The field engineers would have to undertake repairs works as suggested in report of Dam Safety Organisation, repairs to canals and distribution network during the crop season, and repairs in command area of distributaries after handing over of assets to Water Users Society.

Similarly, the guidelines further outlined that the approval of annual maintenance budget at Irrigation Projects should be done within time and final responsibility will rest with Superintending Engineer and same is limited to 1.5 times of the realisation received through supply of raw water that to post disbursement of share to Water Users Society. In case the repairs work to be undertaken required more funds then separate note sheet be prepared seeking addition money from other than regular maintenance head of irrigation department. Also, the repair works upto Rs 50 lakh be undertaken through regular Maintenance Head and beyond that from external sources. The cess realised from irrigation project be used for its maintenance after deducting the payment to be made to Users Society. In case the amount is needed to be diverted to other project, than permission from Chief Engineer should be taken. In case of Minor Irrigation Projects, total recoveries of all the projects be considered and Superintending Engineer should then earmark funds for respective dams and other assets. Every year the itinerary of repair should be completed by May 31.