Udaipur, February 9: A significant meeting was held by the Water Resources Department in Udaipur, chaired by the Additional Chief Engineer. The meeting facilitated direct communication with the presidents of the Water Users Association and farmers to address their concerns. Emphasis was placed on the repair of dams and canals, as well as effective water management.
Department officials reported that the current water availability meets irrigation needs, and regular monitoring of canal operations is underway. They stressed the importance of proper management of available water and timely supply to the end users. Issues raised by the Water Users Association included leakage from the Amarchandia pond and the dilapidated condition of canals. Concerns were also expressed about water wastage due to broken canals at the Ghasa dam. The Additional Chief Engineer instructed relevant officials to prepare and submit repair proposals.
Farmers suggested taking action according to regulations to remove encroachments on canals. They highlighted problems such as lack of irrigation in tail areas due to incomplete works under the RWSLIP scheme at the Vallabhnagar dam, wastage of water due to malfunctioning sluice gates in minors, and reduced storage capacity due to silt accumulation in the Jhadol and Kantharia dams. The Additional Chief Engineer mentioned resubmitting proposals for desilting to the state government.
Dr. Kailashchandra Sharma, Deputy Director of the Horticulture Department, suggested utilizing drip and sprinkler irrigation projects for water conservation and provided information on government subsidies. The meeting also discussed the active participation of women farmers in the Water Users Association as per the Irrigation System Management 2017 and connecting them to self-employment under the Lakhpati Didi scheme.
Present at the meeting were departmental officials and a large number of farmers, including Motilal Suthar, president of the Amarchandia pond Water Users Association, Amarlal Dangi from the Ghasa dam, Amarsingh Rajput from the Vallabhnagar dam, Kalulal from the Ogna dam, Devilal from the Jhadol dam, Mohabbat Singh Ranawat from the Kantharia dam, and Bhawani Shankar from the Bujh ka Naka dam.