Surat: A meeting was held under the chairmanship of Mukeshbhai Patel, State Minister for Forest and Environment, to discuss the irrigation advisory committee for the Ukai-Kakarapar Irrigation Scheme. The meeting focused on maximizing the efficient use of water resources and the promotion of drip irrigation among farmers.
With the Ukai Dam currently filled to a height of 345 feet due to the monsoon rains, the meeting highlighted the significance of utilizing this water efficiently. Currently, the dam has 6719 million cubic meters (MCM) of stored water, ensuring that residents in the Ukai area will not face issues related to irrigation and drinking water supply.
During the meeting, a detailed discussion was held regarding the allocation of water for irrigation from the Ukai Dam during the 2024-2025 agricultural seasons. A rotation schedule was established for the kharif, rabi, and summer crops, determining that 1,56,400 hectares will receive irrigation for rabi crops, while 1,58,800 hectares will be allocated for the summer season.
Minister Mukeshbhai Patel emphasized the need for the careful and judicious use of water, referring to it as a “water-like philosopher’s stone.” He urged farmers to adopt drip irrigation techniques to prevent water wastage and highlighted the collective responsibility of ensuring sustainable water use. Furthermore, he stressed the importance of timely and quality completion of irrigation projects and the establishment of more irrigation committees in villages to promote effective crop patterns.
Key decisions made during the meeting included the irrigation plans for the Kakarapar and Ukai schemes, which will see 1,56,400 hectares of land receiving water for rabi crops, and 1,58,800 hectares for summer crops. The rotation schedule stipulates that between November 2024 and June 2025, the left bank of the Kakarapar main canal and the right bank of the Ukai main canal will receive water for 163 days, with the canal closed for 64 days. The left bank of the Kakarapar canal will get water for 187 days, with a closure of 85 days, and the left bank of Ukai will receive water for 182 days, with a closure of 51 days.
Financial details regarding irrigation fees revealed that from April 2024 to September 2024, approximately ₹563.66 lakhs have been collected from the Ukai-Kakarapar scheme, with an additional ₹496.76 crores from non-agricultural sources.
The meeting also noted that the canals will be closed for 30 to 35 days from December 2024 to January 2025 for modernization and maintenance work.
Present at the meeting were former district panchayat president Bhaveshbhai Patel, executive engineer of Surat irrigation circle Satishbhai Patel, chief engineer S.B. Deshmukh, and various irrigation committee heads, along with departmental officials.
