Lokmat News Network
Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar:
The works of digging personal wells to boost irrigation (sinchan vihirs) in Marathwada region under the Employment Guarantee Scheme (EGS) seems to be going at snail’s pace.
In two years, the administration received 35,000 applications, out of which, only 2,554 wells are on verge of completion.
The region is likely to face acute water shortage in the coming summer season. There was unsatisfactory rainfall in six districts of Marathwada, excluding Nanded and Hingoli districts. In this backdrop, the EGS introduced a personal scheme for digging wells to give a push to the farmers in irrigation.
Accordingly, the revenue administration received 35,646 proposals seeking permission for digging new wells in the year 2022 and 2023. Of which, technical approval was given to 32,000 wells and later on, after scrutinising 31,891 proposals were granted administrative approvals. However, in reality, 2,554 wells have been in the last leg of the completion.
Box
The district wise proposals of wells received by the administration (with number of proposals) includes Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar - 8,588; Jalna - 3, 463; Beed - 7, 952; Parbhani - 3, 584; Hingoli - 2, 654; Nanded - 3, 171; Latur - 4, 499 and Dharashiv -1, 735.
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Districtwise status of wells nearing completion
Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar - 684
Parbhani - 534
Hingoli - 510
Dharashiv - 377
Latur - 321
Jalna - 96
Nanded - 20
Beed - 12
Works of public well at snail’s pace
In 2022 and 2023, the administration also gave approval to the digging of 4,923 public wells in the region. Out of which, the work of digging 3,520 wells got started. Incidentally, 1,722 wells got the water and 755 out of them got completed.