OTHER DEPARTMENTS

IRRIGATION AND POWER DEPARTMENT

Organization.

The Irrigation and Power department in Yeotmal district deals with major, medium and minor irrigation works under execution and maintenance as also hydro-electric schemes and water-supply schemes.

At the State level, the overall administrative control of major, medium and minor irrigation works is distributed in its functional aspect between four Chief Engineers and Director of Minor Irrigation. The Superintending Engineers who are responsible to the Chief Engineer and Director of Minor Irrigation for works in their respective spheres are placed incharge of a circle normally consisting of four to five divisions. A division is headed by an Executive Engineer. Each division normally comprises four to five sub-divisions. A sub-division is placed incharge of an Assistant Engineer or a Deputy Engineer. The sub-divisions are further divided into sections each incharge of an overseer. The section is generally formed for maintenance of about 2023.430 hectares (5,000 acres) of irrigated land or where capital expenditure of rupees one to two lakhs is involved.

Irrigation Projects Investigation Circle Nagpur.

Due to Five-Year Plans the activities of the Irrigation and Power department have increased manifold. To cope up with the increased work pertaining to preparation of plans and estimates of irrigation projects for administrative approval of the Government, before the projects were put in actual execution, a separate organisation was created for survey and investigation of major and medium irrigation projects during the period of the Third Five-Year Plan known as the Irrigation Projects Investigation Circle.

Irrigation Projects Investigation Circle, Nagpur, with headquarters at Nagpur thus came into existence for survey and investigation of major and medium irrigation projects in the eight districts of Vidarbha region proposed in the 3rd, 4th and 5th Five-Year Plans according to the priority for survey fixed by the Government. The circle was placed under the charge of a Superintending Engineer and comprised three division, viz., (1) Irrigation Projects Investigation Division, Amravati; (2) Irrigation Projects Investigation Division, Nagpur; and (3) Irrigation Projects Investigation Division, (South) Nagpur with 20 sub-divisions there- under.

Three of the six sub-divisions, under the Irrigation Projects Investigation Division, Armavati, are in Yeotmal district.

Irrigation Projects Investigation Sub-Division No. 1, Yeotmal has been entrusted with the work of survey and investigation and preparation of reconnaissance reports, preliminary reports and project reports for the administrative approval of government of all medium irrigation projects in Yeotmal district. These projects include,

(i) Ramganga river project,

(ii) Takli tank project,

(iii) Waghadi river project,

(iv) Ghoti project,

(v) Goki project, and

(vi) Nirguda project.

Irrigation Projects Investigation Sub-Divisions Nos. 3 and 6 located at Pandharkawada look after survey and investigation and preparation of all reports of major irrigation projects in the district. There is only one such project, viz., Sahasrakund Irrigation Project on Penganga river.

Pus River Project.

For execution of this project, an independent division office headed by an Executive Engineer was set up at Pusad on 25th July 1964. The division has six sub-divisions under it, each incharge of a Deputy Engineer. The distribution of work between the sub-divisions has been made according to different components of the Pus Project to be executed.

The Pus River Project envisages construction of an earthen dam with ungated spillway on the left bank, across Pus river at village Marsul to impound a gross storage of 4,000 m. cft. The pick-up-weir is proposed to be constructed at village Wanwarla about 3½ miles down stream of the dam with a left bank canal, 12 miles in length and right bank canal, 10 miles in length together with distribution system on each canal so as to irrigate in all 28,950 acres of land in Pusad tahsil. The project is estimated to cost Rs. 334 lakhs.

Saikheda Project.

Yeotmal Irrigation Division is incharge of this medium irrigation project. This division also looks after the survey and investigation and preparation of plans and estimates and execution of minor irrigation works in the whole district. For the execution of Saikheda project, the Yeotmal Irrigation Division has three sub-divisions under it, each incharge of a Deputy Engineer. All the sub-divisions are located at Pandharkawada. One of the subdivisions is meant for the execution of the main dam while the remaining two sub-divisions are intended for the execution of two, canals, one on each bank of the river.

The project envisages construction of ah earthen dam with ungated spillway on the left hank across Khuni river near village Lingati to impound a gross storage of 1,380 m. cft. The left Bank canal and the right hank canal, each 16½ miles long together with the distribution system for each canal will have under irrigation an area of 9,000 acres of land in Kelapur tahsil. The project is estimated to cost Rs. 115.46 lakhs.

Minor Irrigation Works.

The minor irrigation works are spread over the entire district and have been kept under the control of the Executive Engineer, Yeotmal Irrigation Division. To supervise these works five Deputy Engineers are appointed at the following places: —

(1) Minor Irrigation Survey Sub-Division, Yeotmal.

(2) Minor Irrigation Construction Sub-Division, Yeotmal.

(3) Minor Irrigation Construction Sub-Division, Pusad.

(4): Minor Irrigation Construction Sub-Division, Wani.

(5) Nignoor Tank Project Sub-Division, Umarkhed.

The above sub-divisions have minor irrigation works for either surveys, construction or maintenance depending upon the stage of the work. In May 1966, the Yeotmal Irrigation Division had 17 works under execution with an irrigation potential of 15,400 acres at an estimated cost of Rs. 132 lakhs.

There is no completed major or medium irrigation project in the district. A few minor irrigation works have been completed which provide irrigation facilities at present. The work pertaining to irrigation is looked after by the respective Deputy Engineers of Minor Irrigation Sub-Divisions under whose jurisdictions such works are situated. The progress of minor irrigation works is detailed in the following statement: —

During the 3rd Five-Year Plan period, the Irrigation and Power department spent Rs. 45.20 lakhs on major projects, Rs. 32.70 lakhs on medium projects and Rs. 50.24 lakhs on minor irrigation works in Yeotmal district.

Public Health.

Organisation.

The Executive Engineer, public Health Works Division. Amravati and the Executive Engineer, Public Health Works Division, Chandrapur are entrusted with the execution and maintenance of public health schemes pertaining to water-supply and drainage and the Executive Engineer, Public Health Project Division, Nagpur with the preparation of water-supply and drainage schemes in this district. The works in this district are looked after by the Sub-Divisional Officer, Pusad Water-Supply Sub-Division, the Sub-Divisional Officer, Chandrapur Water-Supply Sub-Division and the Sub-Divisional Officer, Amravati Water-Supply Sub-Division. The Executive Engineers of these three divisions are under the control of the Superintending Engineer, Public Health Circle, Nagpur. The Superintending Engineer is under the technical and administrative control of the Chief Engineer, Minor Irrigation and public Health who is also the Joint Secretary to the Government in the Irrigation and Power department.

The Superintending Engineer is responsible for the administration and general control of works incharge of officers of the department within bis circle. It is his duty to inspect various works in his circle and to ensure that the system of management and working in the circle is efficient and economical.

The Executive Engineer is responsible to the Superintending Engineer of his circle for execution and management of all works within his division. The Sub-Divisional Officers are responsible to the Executive Engineer for execution and management of all works within their sub-divisions, while the overseers incharge of sections are responsible to the Sub-Divisional Officers.

Development Works.

Wani Water-Supply Scheme was sanctioned by the former Madhya Pradesh Government at an estimated cost of Rs. 7.74 lakhs serving a population of 15,000. The work of this scheme was started in 1955 and was completed in 1959, i.e., during the Second Five-Year Plan period. The actual expenditure incurred on the scheme came to Rs. 8.85 lakhs. The work is now being maintained by this department with the expenditure towards its maintenance being borne by the Wani Municipal Committee. This work is looked after by the Executive Engineer, Public Health Division, Chandrapur.

Similarly, the work of Pusad Water-Supply Scheme, was included in the Second Five-Year Plan at an estimated cost of Rs. 14.11 lakhs and sanctioned in June 1964.

The following schemes were included in the Third Five-Year Plan: —

(1) Yeotmal Water-Supply Scheme costing Rs. 54.12 lakhs.

(2) Wani Drainage Scheme costing Rs. 14.84 lakhs.

(3) Umarkhed Water-Supply Scheme costing Rs. 8.39 lakhs.

Plans and estimates for Yeotmal Water-Supply Scheme and Wani Drainage Scheme have been submitted to the Government and the work will be undertaken on receipt of the sanction to these schemes and completion of financial arrangements. The final plans and estimates of Umarkhed Water-Supply Scheme are ready for submission to the Government for sanction.

The following water-supply schemes of the district are proposed to be included in the Fourth Five-Year Plan: —

The implementation of the above schemes will, however, depend upon the financial position of the respective municipal committees.

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