Union Minister 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 a National Policy on water conversation based on it.
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 Uddhav Thackerey, Gadkari said synchronization 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 leads 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 an increase of 22,500 Thousand Cubic Metre (TMC) of water storage capacity with no cost to state government” 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 a problem of water scarcity.
The Minister, in his letter, also informed about ‘Tamswada Pattern’ of water conservation project taken up in Nagpur and Wardha district in which rainwater 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 the ‘Tamswada pattern’ was being implemented in 60 villages in Nagpur and Wardha district while the work already completed in 40 villages.
Taking note of the recurring crisis of floods being faced by Mumbai, which results in heavy loss of property and life, Shri Gadkari had earlier requested the Maharashtra government to take initiative for preparations of the Detailed Project Report (DPR) for the 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.
Gadkari also expressed the hope that the creation of a State Water Grid and adopting water Conservations works under the ‘Buldana Pattern’ will increase agriculture production and bring prosperity in farmer’s economic life in Vidarbha.
