Some of the steps initiated by the Government are as follows:

1. Restoration of water bodies

A pilot scheme for repair, renovation and restoration of water bodies directly linked to agriculture has been approved by the Government with an outlay of Rs. 300 crore to be implemented during remaining period of tenth five year plan.

2. Flood management

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(i) A scheme for flood control in Brahmaputra and Barak valley of Assam with an estimated cost of Rs.150 crore has been approved; works have been taken up in Assam, Tripura and Mizoram.

(ii) A Task Force on Flood Management/Erosion Control was constituted for analyzing the problems and suggesting solutions for Assam, North East, Bihar and Eastern UP.

(iii) Outlay for the flood control of Ministry of water Resources has been enhanced to Rs.340 crore during 2005-06, as compared to Rs. 814 crore during the previous year.

3. Accelerated Irrigation Benefits Programme

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Under this, support is extended to states for completion of incomplete irrigation projects. 80 major and medium irrigation projects and 3504 minor irrigation projects from 26 states have been provided central loan assistance. Additional irrigation potential of about 5 lakhs ha has been created.

4. Bharat Nirman

Union budget for 2005-06 launched a new scheme ‘Bharat Nirman Yojana’, major plan to rebuild rural India. It is a time bound business plan launched for rebuilding rural infrastructure in six areas, viz., irrigation, water supply, housing, roads, electrification and telecommunication. It is implemented over a period of four years for building rural infrastructure.

The programme is aimed at inter alia, to bring an additional one crore acres (2 m ha) under assured irrigation, to provide drinking water to the remaining 74,000 habitations that are uncovered.

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5. Water conservation mission

Under the programme, water harvesting structures, viz., Continuous contour trenching/ continuous peripheral trenching/staggered trenching on hill slopes, gully control works, check dams and percolation tanks, bounding in farmers fields, farm ponds, sunken ponds, dug out ponds, rock fill dams, feeder channels, supply channels, de-silting of tanks, restoration of tanks and breach closures were taken up.”