Lucknow, Sep 9: The Uttar Pradesh government is developing a modern water management model in water-stressed Bundelkhand to improve water conservation, irrigation efficiency and agricultural productivity in the region, officials said on Wednesday.
The India-Israel Bundelkhand Water Project, being implemented as a mini-pilot project in Gangawali village of Jhansi's Baragaon block at a cost of around Rs 19.1 crore, has already completed several key works, including reservoir earthwork and geomembrane lining, installation of a solar pump and construction of an intake pipeline and intake well, they said.
Special Secretary of the Namami Gange and Rural Water Supply Department and Director of the Ground Water Department Rajesh Kumar Prajapati said, "The project aims to develop a model suited to Bundelkhand's local water availability and agricultural conditions, enabling scientific and efficient use of limited water resources."
"The project integrates water conservation and storage with solar energy, micro-irrigation, modern farming techniques and farmer training," he said.
According to the officials, demarcation and fencing of the reservoir area, its earthwork and geomembrane lining, construction of PUF-panel buildings and installation of CCTV have been completed. A solar pump has also been installed, while the intake pipeline from the canal to the reservoir and the intake well have been constructed.
A natural sewage treatment plant (STP) has also been built to treat wastewater coming from the village and prevent it from entering the reservoir, officials said. Road construction around the reservoir is currently underway.
The next phase will focus on making drip- and sprinkler-based micro-irrigation systems, greenhouses, tunnels, pipelines and an irrigation automation-SCADA system operational.
Under the pilot project, modern farming techniques will be demonstrated across about 8.5 hectares. The initiative will help farmers understand how much water is required according to crop needs and how better yields can be achieved with less water, they said.
The project will also assess the technologies on parameters such as water consumption, irrigation efficiency, crop production, cost and water productivity, they added.
The officials said 72 practical training sessions are proposed under the project, with around 100 farmers expected to participate in each session.
The training will cover water budgeting, fertigation, crop planning, irrigation operations and use of farm machinery, enabling farmers to plan crop areas according to water availability and manage irrigation more efficiently, they said.
"The experience gained from the Gangawali pilot would be used for a larger demonstration project proposed in 24 other villages located downstream of the Pahuj canal in Baragaon block," Prajapati said.
Executive Engineer and Personal Assistant Director of the Ground Water Department Anupam said the current construction and implementation phase is targeted for completion by December 31.
"The project is proposed to be operated and maintained until June 2029, while the expanded demonstration and farmer training programme is proposed to run from October 2026 to May 2029," Anupam added.
