Mumbai/Nagpur 17 October 2020
Union Minister Shri Nitin Gadkari has said that Maharashtra’s ‘Buldhana Pattern’ of water conservation’ has won national recognition and the NITI Aayog is in the process of formulating National Policy on water conversation based on it.
Shri Gadkari has urged the Maharashtra Government also to adopt the ‘Buldhana Pattern’ for water conservation in the state.
In a letter written to the Chief Minister Shri Uddhav Thackerey, Shri Gadkari said synchronisation of national highway construction and water conservation was achieved for the first time in Buldhana district, by using soil from the water bodies, nallas and rivers. This consequently lead to the increase in capacity of water storage across the water-bodies in Buldana district and it came to be known as ‘Buldhana Pattern’.
“With this activity in Maharashtra, 225 lakh cubic metre of soil was used in National Highway construction and the resultant widening / deepening resulted in increase of 22,500 Thousand Cubic Metre (TMC) of water storage capacity with no cost to state government” Shri Gadkari added.
Through Agro-Vision – an agriculture convention held in Nagpur every year, Gadkari has appealed to adopt the cost efficient ‘Buldhana pattern’ of road-construction nation-wide, especially in the regions which are facing problem of water scarcity.
The Minister, in his letrer, also informed about ‘Tamswada Pattern’ of water conservation project taken up in Nagpur and Wardha district in which rain water harvesting, conservation and groundwater recharge works were done in order to increase the water storage capacity of natural water bodies situated in these two districts of Eastern Vidarbha. He informed that, ‘Tamswada pattern’ was being implemented in 60 villages Nagpur and Wardha district while the work already completed in 40 villages.
Taking a note of recurring crisis of floods being faced by Mumbai, which results into heavy loss of property and life, Shri Gadkari had earlier requested Maharashtra government to take initiative for preparations of the Detailed Project Report (DPR) for formation of the State Water Grid, on the lines of National Power Grid or the Highway Grid, to address the issue of excess water diversion into water deficient regions.
Shri Gadkari also expressed the hope that , creation of State Water Grid and adopting water Conservations works under ‘Buldana Pattern’ will increase the agriculture production and bring prosperity in farmer’s economic life in Vidarbha.
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