Photos: 21 drought prone villages in Himachal Pradesh’s Lahaul to get irrigation water from 15,000 feet height | Shimla News

SHIMLA: Post independence wait of the residents of around two dozen villages of Tandi and Warpa panchayats of Lahaul valley in tribal Lahaul-Spiti district of Himachal Pradesh to have an effective flow irrigation system is finally coming to an end with the Jal Shakti Department all set to construct the Khandip irrigation project to draw water from a height of about 15,000 feet above sea level to these villages.

The length of this irrigation project will be 5 km and 470 meters. Around Rs 9.32 crore will be spent on this project under NABARD. It is being claimed no other irrigation project at such an altitude exists at the moment in the country and this project will be a record in itself and would benefit 1264 people of the area.

The Tandi panchayat is considered among the drought prone areas of Lahaul valley with irrigation needs for the agriculture fulfilled only through the natural springs and in case the winter receives less snowfall the summer becomes scary for the farmers in want of adequate water for irrigation.

Virender Kumar, Pradhan of Tandi panchayat, said that before independence in the early 1940s the villagers had managed to draw water from the same mountain source but the project could not survive due to lack of maintenance and coordination among the villagers. He said that the Khandip irrigation project was envisaged during the previous Congress regime but later work was stalled and now finally the project is going to see the light of the day. He said that the project will benefit around two dozen villages of which 21 are revenue villages.

Lahaul-Spiti MLA Ravi Thakur said that administrative approval and expenditure sanction for the work of Flow Irrigation Scheme (FIS) “Khandip Nallah to Sumnam Tandi, Marvel etc in Keylong tehsil, of Lahaul-Spiti district was accorded by previous Congress government on July 4, 2017 amounting to Rs 932.28 lakh under Tribal Area Sub Plan (TASP) head. The proposal covering part scope was also under consideration of NABARD simultaneously and was approved under RIDF for Rs 711.29 lakh vide letter dated September 28, 2017.

He said that combined Technical Sanction for the work was accorded by the Chief Engineer Jal Shakti Vibhag, Mandi Zone vide letter dated July 18, 2020 for Rs 962.72 lakh. The Culturable Command Area (CCA) proposed to be covered under this scheme is 175.83 hectare. The total length of this Flow Irrigation Scheme is 5470 meter.

He said that the work (for RD 0-2450) meter has been awarded and pattra cutting work was completed in this stretch, but work had to be stopped due to extreme climate conditions. The tender for the remaining portion between (RD 2450-5470) meters was re-invited as there was no participation in the first two calls. Now, the letter of intent has been issued to lowest bidder on March 9 this year and formalities for award of work are ongoing. The up to date expenditure on this work is Rs 239.49 lakh.

Ravi Thakur said that Khandip irrigation scheme is his dream project and with the construction of this project, 2000 bigha land of 21 villages of Tandi and Warpa Panchayats will be irrigated. He said that the department has been asked to complete the construction work of the project by next year.