Post CM's initiative, 50 check dams to be built in Jhargram in 1 year
kolkata: Following Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's directive during her administrative meeting, the State Water Resources Investigation and Development (WRID) department will construct 50 check dams within one year in Jhargram to supply sufficient water for agricultural purposes.
Moreover, the department is soon going to start an extensive search for underground water in Purulia.
It would also check on the feasibility to extract the water and supply it as drinking water and for other purposes. The study of the viability of the project will commence soon.
WRID minister Manas Ranjan Bhunia said: "On Wednesday during the administrative meeting of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, people of Jhargram requested for supply of more water for agricultural purposes. We were asked to look into the matter. Today (Friday) it has been decided that 50 more check dams will be constructed in Jhargram from where water for irrigation on agricultural lands will be supplied."
Bhunia also informed that 34 check dams have been constructed in Jhargram to supply irrigation water in the past 11 years.
This apart under the 'Jol Dharo Jol Bharo' scheme 3.79 lakh ponds and water bodies were either dug up or restored to their original state. In the past year, more than 41 thousand ponds were either dug up or restored by the department.
Using these ponds and water bodies irrigation water was supplied to more than 54 thousand hectares of agricultural land.
While the department continued with its earlier schemes, Bhunia informed that soon a new project will be taken up by his department to find groundwater in Purulia.
Though he did not reveal the details of the project, he said that they are going to take the help of satellite images and other technologies to trace the groundwater level in Purulia.
After the findings are complete, a thorough survey will be conducted to find out whether it is possible to
extract the groundwater
and supply the same for agricultural purposes.
