The Bhupendra Patel-led Gujarat state government has announced a significant decision that will bolster the agricultural sector in North Gujarat. Aiming to alleviate irrigation woes, the government will ensure that 74 ponds in two talukas of North Gujarat are filled with water from the Sabarmati Reservoir's Dharoi Dam. This initiative will benefit approximately 2,700 farmers cultivating over 5,800 hectares of land, with an estimated Rs 317 crore to be invested in the project.
The initiative targets 74 water bodies, including check dams and ponds across 53 villages of Satlasana and Kheralu talukas in North Gujarat. Due to the geographical positioning of the Dharoi Dam's command area on the Sabarmati river, 37 villages from these two talukas were previously unable to access this resource. The farmers of these talukas, primarily involved in animal husbandry and agriculture, have been grappling with irregular rainfall and declining groundwater levels, resulting in insufficient water for irrigation and animal rearing.
The government's decision follows constructive engagement with the farming community and local leaders from these areas who sought intervention from Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel. The plan is to fill the ponds in Kheralu and Satlasana talukas and increase the groundwater level by laying new pipelines to channel water from the Dharoi Dam to these villages.
This initiative will involve laying a 118.14 km pipeline at a cost of Rs 317 crores. The pipeline will directly connect ponds and eight check dams across approximately 53 villages of Kheralu and Satlasana talukas and indirectly to eight ponds and five check dams. In total, 74 ponds and check dams will provide water, facilitating irrigation of 5,808 hectares of land.
The project, funded by the state government, will draw a total of 400 million cubic feet (mcft) of water from the Dharoi Dam in a phased manner to fill these ponds. This significant step is expected to provide much-needed relief to more than 2,700 farmers across the two talukas.
