Jal Shakti to irrigate 20 lakh hectares additional land

The newly-formed Jal Shakti department of Uttar Pradesh government has set a target to irrigate 20 lakh hectares of additional land through the Saryu canal, Madhyaganga canal, Arjun tributary by the end of this year.

“Prestigious projects like the Saryu canal have been pending for nearly four decades due to the neglect of earlier governments. The priority of the BJP government in UP is not only to create additional irrigation capacity by completing incomplete projects, but also to promote sprinkler and drip irrigation, a relatively efficient mode of irrigation, for optimum utilisation of available water,” Jal Shakti Minister Mahendra Singh said.

It is noteworthy that out of 49 projects worth over Rs 500 crore reviewed by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath in October last year, 10 were related to irrigation.  [Readmore]