Matir Shristi: State approves 280 schemes worth Rs 55 cr
Kolkata: The state Water Resources Investigation and Development (WRI&D) department has already received the state government's approval for executing 280 schemes in 6 districts across the state to ensure uninterrupted water availability for implementation of Matir Shristi scheme announced by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in May 2020. The department will spend around Rs 55 crore for these projects.
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in the recent administrative meeting at Birbhum had directed WRI&D department officials to make proper arrangements for irrigation so that plantation does not suffer due to scarcity of water.
"We will take up various schemes like water detention schemes (WTS), check dams, dug well scheme, solar tubewell depending upon the area and location of the land that has been identified," a senior official in WRI& D department said.
Under Matir Shristi scheme, projects will be undertaken involving various departments like Horticulture, Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and WRI&D department for overall economic upliftment of the community.
The scheme aims at utilising fallow land commercially through horticulture, fisheries, and animal husbandry for generating additional income for the farmers. Moreover, it will also benefit the community and reap environmental benefits in the dry regions.
The project has been taken up in 6 western districts, including Bankura, West Midnapore, Jhargram, West Burdwan, Purulia and Birbhum. The WRI&D department has been selected as the nodal department with the District Magistrate acting as the nodal officer in their respective districts.
Meanwhile, several irrigation schemes have already been taken up from the DM level in the districts and plantation has already been done at 1500 sites, covering 6472 acres.
More than 10 lakh saplings of various fruits have already been planted during the rainy season and inter cropping has been made at nearly 200 sites, where vegetables are also being cultivated so that income can be generated until the trees start yielding fruits. The Self Help Groups have already earned Rs 28 lakh through this scheme. "The Chief Minister has asked to identify SHG groups that are badly in need of employment and engage them in this project and we have already started doing so," the official added.
