Micro-irrigation will increase productivity: Devendra Fadnavis

MUMBAI: Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has said that micro-irrigation for agriculture will not only save water but also increase the productivity.

His government had also stepped up efforts to complete the incomplete irrigation projects, Fadnavis said in the second episode of TV show "Mi Mukhyamantri Boltoy" (This is CM speaking), aired by Doordarshan's Sahyadri channel and other Marathi channels today.

"Micro-irrigation not only saves water, but experience tells us that it also raises productivity," he said.

In the first phase of micro-irrigation, only the required amount of water is given to crops after soil testing. The dose of water is increased in the second phase, he said, answering a question by Madhukar Pawar, a farmer.

During the program, the CM answers people's questions, sent by email, WhatsApp or post. Some of them get the chance to be present on the show and ask the question in person.

The Chief Minister's Office had received some 2500 questions from various parts of the state, officials said.

Fadnavis said he was confident that in the next three years, most of the sugarcane farming would switch to micro-irrigation.

"We need Rs 80,000 crore to finish incomplete irrigation projects. We are working hard on it. State- and district-level committees have been set up for the technical evaluation of projects...The Centre has agreed to provide assistance of Rs 26,000 crore. When these projects are completed, our irrigation capacity would see a quantum jump," he said.

To a question by another farmer, Santosh Dinkar, Fadnavis said the government had undertaken a project to revive five rivers in the Konkan region with the help of Dr Rajendra Singh, the famous water conservationist.