Raipur. 18 February 2021. Permanent lining of canals under MNREGA (Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act) has restored irrigation system in many villages. Farmers are stunned by the timely access of water from the pucca canals constructed in nine small reservoirs in Bijapur district to the fields located at the end. Farmers have achieved good yields this year due to water reaching the fields from paved canals during the Kharif season. With the convergence of MNREGA and DMF (District Mineral Trust Fund), a major task of restoring reservoir irrigation projects was started in the year 2019-20. Its positive results are now visible at the ground level. This work has restored irrigation system in 799 hectare area of Bijapur district.
On one hand, the irrigated area of the district has increased due to the pucca lining of canals , on the other hand it is opening the way for the economic progress of the farmers. Canal lining has also been made in the Kodoli Gram Panchayat of Bhairamgarh development block of Bijapur with MNREGA convergence. 1800 meter length CC in canals of pond Kodoli reservoir (from pond no. 1 & 2). The irrigation system has been restored by lining. In just one year, the results of this initiative of Bijapur district administration are seeing pleasant results. This project has brought prosperity in the life of farmers like Shri Narhar Netam of Kodoli, whose seven acres of agricultural land is connected to this canal.
Today, the house-courtyard of Shri Narhar Netam is smelling of the scent of basmati rice. In view of the irrigation facility available after canal lining, he had sown Basmati in his four acres of fields and Maheshwari paddy in three acres during the Kharif season this year. This time there is good paddy compared to previous years due to sufficient water for irrigation. Mr. Netam says that this canal lining work is proving to be a boon for farmers like him. Earlier it was a crude canal. Whenever someone would farmers need water , so he had the edges of the canal takes undercut irrigate their fields. Due to this, some farms near the reservoir could get water. At the same time, bushes were grown along with silt filling due to the canal being raw. Due to all these reasons, canal water could not reach the last village.
Mr. shin Netam says Rabi crop so far , was built fights position between the irrigation canal farmers kharif crop. But now this problem has been overcome due to the permanent lining of the canals. Now after kharif crop, farmers are taking second crop. Mr. Netam also three years after their corn acre farm , planted cantaloupe in half an acre gram and mustard and half acres. The irrigation facility developed by the convergence of MNREGA and DMF will result in their products in the markets of Bhairamgarh , Kodoli , Miratur and Nelsanar in the coming months .
Mr. Netam’s family has also got 185 days of direct employment in this canal lining work done under MNREGA. His family had received wages of more than Rs 14,000 in lieu of 80 days of employment in the year 2019-20. In the current financial year 2020-21, his family has been paid wages of about 20 thousand rupees in lieu of 105 man-days of work.
