NVDA adopts PM’s ‘per drop more crop’ mantra for irrigation

Bhopal, Sep 13 (PTI) The Narmada Valley DevelopmentAuthority (NVDA) has said it has adopted Prime MinisterNarendra Modi’s mantra of "Per Drop, More Crop" for itsirrigation projects. "All future irrigation projects are being developedunder the framework of ‘Per Drop, More Crop’ principle givenby the Prime Minister," an official of the state PublicRelations Department said. A review meeting was chaired by Minister of state forNarmada Valley Development (independent charge) Lal Singh Aryaat Mantralaya here yesterday, where it was informed thatefficiency to use water has increased by 50 per cent in theprojects where micro irrigation technique was used, theofficial said. In the meeting, NVDA Vice-Chairman Rajneesh Vaish saidthe future irrigation projects of the authority will havemicro-irrigation techniques. "Irrigation is being done through micro-irrigationtechniques in Punasa, Khargone and Omkareshwar lift irrigationprojects and with that, the efficiency to use water has beenincreased by 50 per cent," Vaish said. On the occasion, he informed that the work wasunderway on Narmada-Malwa-Gambhir link project, to provideirrigation facility to 50,000 hectare agriculture landcovering 158 villages of Indore and Ujjain districts. Lift irrigation schemes of Alirajpur, Balwara,Chhegaon Makhan, Bistan, Simrol, Amba Chandan and Harsud havebeen sanctioned by the authority. At present, irrigation facility has been developed forfive lakh hectares area by the authority’s ongoing and underconstruction projects in the year 2015-16. The authority is making efforts to extend irrigationfacility for 11 lakh hectare area by 2019 from the presenttarget of 7.98 lakh hectare, Vaish added. PTI MAS NP SRYRDS