Decade On, Irrigation Well Scheme In Limbo

Nagpur: Nearly a decade after Maharashtra launched an ambitious irrigation well drive aimed at reducing farmers' dependence on erratic monsoons in eastern Vidarbha, the programme is still struggling to cross the finish line. Despite repeated extensions over the years, 110 irrigation wells across six districts of Nagpur division remain incomplete, prompting the state to grant yet another deadline — this time till Dec 31, 2026. A GR issued by the planning department recently stated of the 386 irrigation wells that were under progress in Nagpur division, 276 have been completed while remaining 110 are yet to be finished. State has now directed authorities to complete pending works "under any circumstances" before new deadline, signalling what could be final extension for the long-running scheme.The special irrigation well campaign covers Nagpur, Wardha, Gondia, Bhandara, Chandrapur and Gadchiroli districts — regions where farming continues to depend heavily on rainfall and groundwater sources. The programme was significantly expanded in 2016 when the state sanctioned an additional target of 13,000 irrigation wells in the division under rural development framework. Sources said the objective was to create sustainable irrigation assets at the farm level, especially in areas with low canal coverage and high dependence on seasonal rains. In districts such as Gadchiroli and Chandrapur, where agriculture often remains vulnerable to monsoon fluctuations, access to irrigation wells can determine whether farmers are able to cultivate a second crop or remain limited to a single rain-fed season. With only 110 wells pending out of final 386 under progress, govt appears to be in last stretch of closing a scheme that has seen deadline extensions through 2021, 2023, 2024 and 2025.