Guwahati, Dec. 17: Assam irrigation minister Ranjit Dutta today said his department is working to complete 340 projects across the state by March.

All the projects are under the Accelerated Irrigation Benefits Programme (AIBP), an initiative launched by the Centre to provide central loan assistance to major/medium irrigation projects in the country and accelerate the implementation of those projects that were beyond the resource capability of the states or were in an advanced stage of completion.

Irrigation is a state subject and irrigation projects are formulated, executed and funded by the state governments from their own resources.

"We will finish all the irrigation projects under the AIBP programme by March. After this, we will take up new schemes. In places without rivers, we will use solar-operated deep tubewells," said Dutta to the villagers of Kumarpith while inspecting the progress of a project.

Dutta today visited two project sites - Kumarpith under Kamalpur constituency in Kamrup district and Chandra under Jalukbari constituency in Kamrup (metro) district. He asked the engineers to complete the work by March as construction cannot continue during monsoon.

The Kumarpith project is being constructed at a cost of Rs 29.35 crore. It will supply water from Kolajol river to 1,500 hectares of nearby paddy fields through a 8,450-meter canal. So far, 31 per cent work of the project has been completed.

Similarly, the Chandra project, which is being constructed at a cost of Rs 29.65 crore, will supply water from Bornodi river to 1,500 hectares through a 8,200-meter canal.

So far 20 per cent work of the project has been completed. "Both the projects will have the mechanism to stop flow of waters of the rivers. When the water flow is stopped, its level upstream will go up and flow to the nearby agricultural fields. When adequate water will be drained off to the agricultural fields the barrier will be removed," said an engineer.

For years villagers near the Chandra project had been draining off water from Bornodi by creating an artificial barrier in the river. It used to cost them nearly Rs 40,000 per year. "The project, once completed, will be a great relief to us," said a villager.

Rabi crop is a major source of livelihood for the villagers here. Dutta told the villagers in Kumarpith that once the project is completed it would be handed over to them to operate.

"Once the project is completed, a water users' association will be formed with the beneficiaries of the scheme as its members. The members will contribute a small amount of money to the association. It will be deposited in a bank account and used to run the scheme," he said.

However, sources said land acquisition to make canals through agricultural fields would be another challenge. The main canals will be around five feet wide.