Telangana govt to come up with new, comprehensive Irrigation Act soon
For effective operation and management of irrigation projects, the Irrigation department is mulling over formulating a new and comprehensive Irrigation Act soon.
Hyderabad: For effective operation and management of irrigation projects in the State, the Irrigation department is mulling over formulating a new and comprehensive Irrigation Act soon. It is also aimed at protection of about 11 lakh acres land belonging to the department at different irrigation projects from encroachments.
Nearly 1.25 crore acres of cultivable land is directly dependent on various irrigation projects for supply of water i.e. nearly 80 per cent of the total cultivable land in the State. The remaining land is dependent on groundwater supply. Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao had already reorganised the Irrigation department, according to the changing priorities of the irrigation sector.
“But there are around four-five different Acts, some of them enacted during the Nizam era and later in erstwhile Andhra Pradesh. The government is now planning to combine them and prepare a comprehensive law,” said a senior official in the Irrigation department.
Special Chief Secretary for Irrigation Rajat Kumar has been holding discussions with the top officials in the Irrigation department. They discussed and sought suggestions on various topics to be covered under the new law which will be formulated as per directions of the Chief Minister.
It has been decided to study the existing comprehensive laws of Maharashtra, Kerala, Jammu and Kashmir and other States and include the best practices in the proposed law to be enacted in Telangana. Another meeting is expected to be held within a fortnight to study and discuss these existing laws.
The officials said the new and comprehensive irrigation act will deal with all aspects of the Irrigation department including land acquisition, operation and maintenance of the projects, pump houses, distributories, canals and other components of the irrigation projects. It will also deal with flood water management in more than 20 major irrigation projects.
Stringent laws are being included to protect the Irrigation department lands and punish the encroachers severely. Though about 11 lakh acres land was acquired by the Irrigation department towards backwaters and other purposes, they were being encroached by locals for cultivation of lands when water recedes, without any legal entitlement and even after the compensation is paid.
The State government did not take any action against such farmers earlier, but is currently considering punishments under the new law to safeguard its irrigation projects.
