**Incomplete Pipelines and Deteriorating Infrastructure Plague Binjalwara Micro Lift Irrigation Project in Bhikangaon**
Bhikangaon (Madhya Pradesh): Pipelines worth crores of rupees lie incomplete and rotting in fields as the Narmada Valley Development Authority’s (NVDA) ambitious Binjalwara Micro Lift Irrigation project has become a nightmare for local farmers. Plagued by unfinished pipelines and pump houses, the project has so far failed to deliver water to agricultural lands.
In Borgaon village, farmer Gyanchand Dayaram reported that approximately 3,000 feet of pipeline work remains incomplete. Pipes have been dumped in fields and left to deteriorate for over three years, with alleged mismanagement cited as the cause of the prolonged delay.
The first pump house, reportedly completed two years ago, has yet to supply any water to the farmers’ fields. Deepak Ramlal, another farmer from Borgaon, expressed his frustration: “We have waited two years for water, but not a drop has reached our field.” He added that although a water distribution box was installed in his field, the pipeline work abruptly stopped 3,000 feet away.
Similar concerns were raised by Kadwaji Nandiya Kalda, whose 12 acres of farmland have remained dry for two years. “There is a box in my field, but no pipe or connection was made. Metal pipes lie abandoned 300 feet away, but work stopped there,” he said, voicing suspicions that the project might exist only on paper.
In response to the growing discontent, Project Executive Engineer CB Tatwal has called a crucial meeting scheduled for Monday at the Daurwa Gram Panchayat from 12 noon to 3 pm. He urged affected farmers to attend and register their complaints regarding the stalled project.
Shyam Singh Pawar, provincial youth coordinator of Bharatiya Kisan Sangh, condemned the project as “a huge fraud on farmers.” He warned that street protests could soon follow if immediate solutions are not provided, accusing officials of protecting contractors at the expense of farmers’ rights.
As frustration mounts, farmers hope the upcoming meeting will bring much-needed clarity and progress to the long-delayed Binjalwara Micro Lift Irrigation project.
https://www.freepressjournal.in/indore/mp-news-crores-go-waste-as-binjalwara-irrigation-project-pipelines-decay