Summary:
To mobilise revenues to finish work on long-pending irrigation projects, the state Cabinet, on Tuesday, approved a policy for the development of rest houses and dam sites owned by the state water resources department on a commercial basis. These sites with tourism potential, include 146 rest houses, inspection bungalows, inspection huts and colonies at irrigation project sites. Maharashtra has over 3,000 completed irrigation projects, including 138 large dams and 255 and 2,862 medium and small irrigation projects respectively. This will also prevent encroachment at these sites, create employment and open up state resources for the development of ongoing projects,” he further said. In addition to that, dams and irrigation projects will be de-silted and the extracted sand will be sold to farmers and several other construction industries..