THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The government has approved revised action plans for wrapping up three important irrigation schemes that were envisaged in the 1970s and ‘80s but since then gained notoriety due to the delays that hit their completion.
Revised plans have been approved for the Muvattupuzha Valley Irrigation Project (MVIP) as well as the Karapuzha and the Banasurasagar projects, said an officer with the Irrigation Department.
In the case of the Edamalayar scheme, the fourth irrigation project that was listed by the government in 2017 as outrageously delayed, a technical panel set up by the government has sought more data from the Irrigation Department, Joshy K A, Chief Engineer (Irrigation and Administration) Irrigation Department, said.
The revised plan for MVIP envisages execution of work to the tune of Rs 6.11 crore. Under it, four major works are to be undertaken -on the dam and allied structures and on the main canal, branch canal and distributory channels. In July, the government had given green signal for a Rs 6.72-crore action plan for MVIP to be implemented during 2018-19 and 2019-2020, but revised it in the aftermath of the mid-August floods.
For the Karapuzha project, the government has okayed work to the tune of Rs 11.42 crore under the revised action plan for 2018-19. Seven separate works - on the reservoir, dam, spillways and canals included - will be taken up.
“The government has also approved the revised plan for the Banasurasagar project. The technical committee had conducted site inspections and issued directives for revised plans for the three projects,’’ Joshy said.
All four projects were originally designed to aid agriculture, but were delayed on account of a variety of reasons. In April 2017, the government decided to complete these projects with changes that were absolutely necessary and formed an expert panel for the purpose. The Banasurasagar scheme, the oldest of the four, was started 46 years ago in 1971. The Karappuzha and Edamalayar schemes were launched in 1978 and 1981 respectively, while MVIP was started in 1983.
According to the data released by Water Resources Minister Mathew T Thomas in 2017, the estimate for the Banasurasagar scheme had risen from a mere Rs 11.37 crore to a stunning Rs 185 crore. Of this, Rs 53.81 crore stood spent till 2017.
The estimate for Karappuzha had spiralled up from Rs 7.6 crore to Rs 560 crore and Rs 315.3 crore had been spent. The initial estimate of the Edamalayar project was Rs 17.07 crore. It was revised to a whopping Rs 1,661 crore, of which Rs 428.66 crore was spent. In the case of MVIP, the initial estimate was Rs 48.08 crore. It was modified to Rs 945 crore. Till 2017, Rs 920 crore has been spent.