According to rapid growth in population, it is the need of state to increase the productivity of food with self-dependency, for which major steps have been taken by state government to take more agricultural land under irrigation and cultivation facility. Due to use of chemical fertilizers and productive seeds for increasing the productivity of food, water need also increases day by day. After 70’s unexpected development/exploitation of ground water has been noticed in agricultural, industrial and urban cities. On one hand where agricultural development has taken place from irrigation, based on groundwater, on other hand this resource had contributed a lot in fulfilling the demand of drinking water and industrial sector water supply too. But adverse effects are also being noticed because of unlimited exploitation of this resource, which results in the decline of water level, scarcity in availability of groundwater, failure of shallow tubewells/tubewells, groundwater pollution and other problems are also been faced. This results to the serious consult over the availability of groundwater in both urban and rural areas.
According to report of Government of India prepared on the basis of records as on 31 March, 2011 estimation of water resources has been done, according to which, out of 820 development divisions of 75 districts 111 development divisions are categorized as over exploited, 68 development divisions as critical, 82 development divisions as semi-critical and remaining 559 development divisions as secured. In comparison to estimation of groundwater resources in last few years, danger zone (over exploited and critical) development divisions have remarkably increased. State government has banned construction of governmental tubewells in 111 over exploited and 68 critical development divisions (Total 179 development divisions) which are established in 44 districts. From this context, responsibility of Irrigation Department increases, to supply water to farmers for irrigation purpose, after limited exploitation of groundwater from tubewells and surface water from branch canals.
Functions of mechanical organisation
As per need of Irrigation Water Management, major, medium and small projects are being formed with the use of natural water resources. Major works included in mechanical organisation of Irrigation department are management of groundwater and surface water from state tubewells and small branch canals, maintenance of state tubewells and small branch canals, maintenance of top works/pump house of major and medium branch canals, construction of new tubewells to utilize underground water, reconstruction of unsuccessful state tubewells and construction of new small branch canals for cultivation with groundwater, their modernization and building capacity. Construction of hardware and spare parts of state tubewells in irrigation workshops through mechanical organisation and construction of water mechanical equipment and barrage gates etc.