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Rajen,
How very true. If we are given the franchise to elect our
legislators, why are we content to sit back and watch the non-performance of the
elected rather than take positive steps to correct our initial mistakes (of
electing the wrong people).
As I have said a few times too, we should try and help our people and NOT
simply be arm-chair critics.
How would you like to join the North-East-India forum. We have a lot
more intersting and positive discussions going on. Your contributions
would definitely help.
Anjan
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Friday, March 04, 2005 12:53
AM
Subject: Re: [Assam] Re: Credibility Of
MoWR!!!
Chandan:
I see Chandan Mahanta, a NRA, shouting in
the net and trying to make GOI accountable.
What we need is the people of Assam to hold both
GOA and GOI accountable for their lapses and not to let them go.
That is what Ram and I have been
shouting for in the net.
Are you willing to join us in trying to help
people of Assam do that?
That is why I asked you in my last mail, what
point you are trying to make by blaming the system.
We have 2 options.
We can shout and try to make point
or
We can try to help people of Assam.
I am for the later.
Rajen
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Thursday, March 03, 2005 7:26
AM
Subject: [Assam] Re: Credibility Of
MoWR!!!
For those who might be interested in holding their governments
accountable.
cm
At 12:14 AM +0600 3/3/05, D K Mishra wrote:
The data about irigation in different
states , as provided by MoWR are
fake and misleading. I can say this on
the authority of data supplied by
WRD of Govt. of Bihar. The annual
reports of GoB suggets that,
Major
irrigation projects in the
state (with command areas in excess of 10,000
hectares) include the
Kosi and Gandak in North Bihar, and the Sone canal
network in South
Bihar. There are a number of medium-sized schemes,
defined as those
with commands between 2,000 and 10,000 hectares, and
hundreds of minor
irrigation projects. However, as of 2003, irrigation
potential (area
connected to the irrigation network) was only 2.8
million hectares and
the area actually receiving water from the networks
was limited to 1.6
million hectares.
Scrutiny of records show that
both irrigation
potential and actual irrigation (area receiving water)
increased in the
state until 1990 when it attained its peak of 2.148
million hectares
after which actual irrigation saw a steady decline even
as potential
irrigation continued to rise. Between 1990 and 2000 (when
the state was
bifurcated into Bihar and Jharkhand), there was additional
potential
irrigation of 113,000 hectares but actual irrigation fell by
653,000
hectares. The area irrigated by surface networks has stabilized
around
1.6 million hectares for the past ten years. Considering that
404,000
hectares was under irrigation in Bihar at the time of
Independence in
August 1947, the increase in actual irrigation of 1.2
million acres
over the past 56 years is not a noteworthy achievement. At
that rate of
average
growth of actual irrigation, it will take about
230
years to achieve the irrigation targets and if we only consider
the
growth rate in the past 15 years of misrule in Bihar, the targets
would
never ever be achieved since the growth has been negative. One
can only
extrapolate as to when the irrigation department of the state
would
cease to function.
According to the water resources
department (Minor
Irrigation), irrigation potential of 222,000 hectares
had been created
by 2000 of which 84,800 hectares is through surface
irrigation schemes
and 132,200 hectares is by lift irrigation and
energized rural pump
sets. However, reports indicate that the surface
irrigation schemes have
not operated at more than 60 per cent
efficiency while the lift
irrigation schemes operate at a maximum
efficiency of 10 per cent.
Ageing machines, erratic electricity supply,
incompetent management and
indifference of users are stated to be the
causes of underutilization of
these facilities.
There were a
total of 2,316 Lift Irrigation
Schemes in the state of which 679
are defunct because of electrical
problems, 104 do not function because
of mechanical problems, and 826
schemes suffer from a combination of
both these defects. Another 221
schemes have fallen into disuse because
of the shifting of the river
course away from the sump well or due to
sand-casting (intake covered by
sand). Thus, only 482 schemes, or less
that 21 per cent are
operational.
There are 5,558 State Tube
Wells (STW) in the state with
a command area of 307,000 hectares. Of
these, only 5,122 have received
electrical power. In the case of STWs,
too, the operation record is poor
- 2,886 sets are inoperative because
of electrical faults, 85 because of
mechanical trouble, and 302
because of defects in the power supply
transformers. As a result,
according to the annual report of the Minor
Irrigation Dept, against a
potential of 112,000 hectares, State Tube
Wells irrigated only 19,468
hectares of land in 1999-2000.
Bihar (now
Jharkhand) Hill Area
Lift Irrigation Corporation (JHALCO) established in
1975 under Tribal
Sub-Plan commissioned 394 Lift Irrigation Schemes in
the tribal areas
of Jharkhand. According to reports, 284 of these
schemes are no longer functioning. Not
surprisingly, if the rains are
delayed by only a week the state faces
drought.
Actually, both the
data, whether it is given by Delhi
or by Patna are fake if the farmers
are to be believed. They do not
trust the irrigation establishment and
most of agriculture is based on
their own enerprize. The Irrigation
Department claims all the
development to its credit.
I am sure, the
situation in other
states too, may not be as rosy as presented to be.
There is a need to
strengthen the counter-research to blast the bogus
claims made by the
irrigation bureucracy.
Dinesh Mishra
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