Virendra Singh Rawat / Lucknow
In a feat of sorts, the Sukwa Dukwan Weir near Jhansi, often referred to as the ‘Niagara Falls of Bundelkhand’, of Uttar Pradesh has received the World Heritage Irrigation Structure tag.
“Dukwan Weir has been serving the irrigation and drinking water needs of UP for generations. It is a moment of pride for our state,” UP Jal Shakti minister Mahendra Pratap Singh said.
International Commission on Irrigation and Drainage (ICID) had started a programme of search for heritage irrigation structures across the world. The preconditions were it should be more than 100 years old while its features should have remained unchanged while serving its purpose.
An engineering marvel, located over River Betwa about 45 kms from Jhansi, was constructed in 1906.
With a capacity of 57 million cubic metre, the weir irrigates more than 200,000 hectares of land every year, informed Umesh Kumar, Executive Engineer, Betwa Canal, Jhansi division.
It caters the irrigation and drinking water needs of Jalaun, Jhansi and some parts of Hamirpur districts in UP even as it supplies water to Datia district in Madhya Pradesh too.
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ICID, a global network of irrigation, drainage, and flood management experts, annually recognises irrigation structures of international significance on the lines of World Heritage Sites recognised by the UNESCO.