OTHER DEPARTMENTS

IRRIGATION AND POWER DEPARTMENT

IRRIGATION AND POWER.

At the Secretariat level, the Irrigation and Power Department is headed by the Secretary to Government who is the adminis- trative head of the department. He is assisted by two Chief Engineers, one in charge of major and medium irrigation and hydro-electric projects and drainage works and the other in charge of minor irrigation projects, public health (water-supply) and drainage schemes in the State sector.

Organisation.

The set up of Irrigation and Power Department in the State is as under: -

Secretary (Administrative Head)

Superintending Engineer in charge of Circle, normally

consisting of 4 to 5 divisions.

Executive Engineer in charge of divisions, normally

consisting of 4 to 5 sub-divisions.

Sub-Divisional Officer in charge of sub-division, normally

consisting of 4 to 5 sections.

Overseers in charge of sections.

Functions.

The activities of Irrigation and Power department mainly relate to the (i) management of completed irrigation schemes, (ii) execution of major and medium irrigation and hydro-electric projects and ancillary activities such as surveys and investiga- tion, preparation of master plan work of designs, plans and estimates of major projects centralised in Central Designs Organisation, (iii) minor irrigation and (iv) Public Health (water-supply and drainage) schemes.

The Chief Engineer is in charge of execution and overall technical control of various works under construction or contemplated throughout the State. The Superintending Engineers of Circles are responsible to the Chief Engineer for the execution, supervision and management of all activities of Irrigation and Power department under their Circles. The Executive Engineers are responsible to the Superintending Engineers, the Sub-divisional Officers to the Executive Engineers and Overseers to the Sub-divisional Officers for the execution, supervision and management of activities of Irrigation and Power department in their divisions, Sub-divisions and sections, respectively.

Executive Engineer.

The Executive Engineer, Public Health Works Division, Amravati, is entrusted with the execution of public health engineering, water-supply and drainage schemes and the Executive Engineer, Public Health Project Division, Nagpur, with the preparation of major public health schemes in the district. The maintenance of Amravati waterworks (municipal deposit works) and the Holiday Camp water-supply scheme at Chikhal-dara (Government Scheme) are looked after by the Deputy Engineer, Amravati Water-Supply Sub-Division, Amravati. In addition, he is responsible for the execution of Daryapur Water-supply (municipal deposit work) Scheme. Besides the schemes of water-supply arrangements to Government Polytechnic, Amravati, drainage arrangements to Government Polytechnic, Amravati, are under preparation and are likely to be taken for execution on behalf of the Buildings and Communications Department. These schemes would be executed by Amravati Water-supply Sub-division, Amravati.

The Regional Rural Piped Water-supply Scheme for about 270 villages in the saline tract of Amravati district is under preparation with the Sub-divisional Officer, Public Health Project Sub-division, Amravati, under the Public Health Project Division, Nagpur. The whole area in the district would be covered by three or four sub-schemes having independent source of water-supply depending upon special features in the respective areas. The survey and preparation of detailed plan and estimates are under progress with the Executive Engineer, Public Health Project Division, Nagpur.

The Executive Engineer, Public Health Works Division, Amravati and Executive Engineer, Public Health Project Division, Nagpur are under the Superintending Engineer, Eastern Public Health Circle, Nagpur. The Superintending Engineer is responsible to the Chief Engineer, Minor Irrigation and Public Health, Irrigation and Power Department. As regards irrigation works, there is one irrigation division at Amravati under the overall charge of the Superintending Engineer, Akola Irrigation Circle with headquarters at Amra- vati. The Superintending Engineer is responsible to the Chief Engineer in the Irrigation and Power Department for irrigation works in the Amravati district. The Executive Engineer, Amravati has under him six sub-divisions for surveys and construction of minor irrigation works and surveys for major and medium irrigation projects included in the Third Five-Year Plan.

The Sub-divisions dealing with works in the Amravati district are as under: -

1. Irrigation Survey Sub-division, Amravati.

2. Irrigation Survey Sub-division, Morshi.

3. Irrigation Survey Sub-division, Achalpur.

Works and Activities. Water-Supply and Drainage Schemes.

The main functions of the Public Health Engineering Wing of the department are as under: -

(1) Preparation and execution of Government and Municipal water-supply schemes,

(2) supervision of water-supply and drainage schemes executed by local bodies.

(3) giving advice, so far as water-supply and drainage problems are concerned, to other Government departments in connection with schemes sponsored by them,

(4) maintaining a large number of waterworks in the State either owned by Government or by local bodies, the latter of which are entrusted to Government for running at the cost of local bodies.

This wing also deals with other public health engineering problems arising in the State and co-operates with the Public Health department in matters involving public health engineering.

Amravati is the only town in the district provided with piped water-supply. This waterworks is maintained by the department on behalf of and at the cost of the Municipal Committee, Amravati.

No town or village in the district is provided with underground drainage.

At present, only one major scheme, viz., Daryapur Water-Supply Scheme (municipal deposit work) estimated to cost Rs. 8,536.16 is under execution of this department.

Transfer of Functions to Zilla Parishad.

With the formation of the Zilla Parishad, Amravati, matters relating to rural health are transferred to it. Accordingly, the Kaundinyapur Fair Water-supply Scheme as drawn up by Irrigation and Power department has been transferred for implementation to the Zilla Parishad, Amravati. Future planning and execution of all water-supply and drainage schemes in the rural areas not costing more than Rs. 5 lakhs in each case, would come within the jurisdiction of the Zilla Parishad.  Irrigation Schemes. Irrigation Survey Sub-Division, Amravati. Irrigation Survey Sub-Division, Achalpur.

This Sub-division looks after the survey works in Amravati and Daryapur tahsils. During the year 1961-62, five schemes were surveyed of which plans and estimates for four works were finalised. In these two tahsils, no irrigation work exists.

This Sub-division looks after the surveys and construction of minor irrigation works in Achalpur and Melghat tahsils and surveys for the Shahanoor River Project, the Medium irrigation project included in the Third Five-Year Plan. In 1961-62, surveys for two minor irrigation works were completed and plans and estimates for two minor irrigation works with an irrigation potential of 300 acres were submitted to Government for sanction. Construction of two bandharas with an irrigation potential of 400 acres was in progress and both the works were in the final stages of completion. As far as irrigation and management is concerned, only one work, viz., Pakhal Nalla (anicut) is in operation. This anicut (bandhara) is about 4 miles from Achalpur on Achalpur-Akot road. The work was completed in the year 1952-53 at a cost of Rs. 0.24 lakh. It irrigates an area of 377 acres. The area irrigated by this bandhara is as under (Year-wise): -

Survey Sub-Division, Morshi.

This Sub-division is responsible for surveys and construction of minor irrigation works in Morshi and Chandur tahsils of the district. During 1961-62, surveys for all irrigation works were completed and plans and estimates for three works with an irrigation potential of 635 acres were finalised and submitted to Government. Construction of Kamlapur Bandhara with irrigation potential of 90 acres was in progress.

In Morshi tahsil, Pat Nalla (anicut), Pak Nalla and Dabheri Tank are the three irrigation works that have been completed.

Pat Nalla.

Pat Nalla is situated about seven miles from the Morshi Town and is near Bhivakundi village. It was constructed in 1954-55 at a cost of Rs. 0.22 lakh. The area irrigated from 1955-56 to 1960-61 year-wise is as under:-

Pak Nalla.

Pak Nalla is situated about eight miles from the Morshi town near Hiwarkhed village. The work was completed in 1956-57 at a total cost of Rs. 0.41 lakh. The irrigable area under this near Hiwarkhed village. The work was completed in 1956-57 when the bandhara was put into commission is as below: -

Dabheri Tank.

Dabheri Tank, a storage tank, is situated near village Dabheri in Morshi tahsil. The tank is reported to be 700 years old. A canal system was provided in the year 1951-52. The irrigable area is 266 acres. It was put into commission in 1952-53. The acreage irrigated from 1956-57 is as under: -

Utilisation.

It would be seen from the above figures that the available potential is not fully utilised. The matter has been investigated and it is found that the main reasons for the non-utilisation of the irrigation potential are as under: -

(1) Cultivators are not irrigation minded,

(2) they are afraid that the sub-soil water level on the d/s. of the tank may go down if and when the water level in the reservoir would go down,

(3) general fertility of land, and

(4) apathy of the cultivators towards the irrigation facility provided.

According to the Maharashtra Zilla Parishads and Panchayat Samitis Act, 1961. Amravati Zilla Parishad was formed in May 1962 and Morshi Irrigation Sub-division was transferred en block to Zilla Parishad, Amravati. All works, from the Amravati district, irrigating less than 250 acres now stand transferred to the Amravati Zilla Parishad.

In the Amravati district, so far, no major or medium irrigation projects have been undertaken.

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