World’s largest Groundwater Recharge Project on Tapti river signed

 

 

In a major development, governments of Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra inked a pact for ‘Tapti Basin Mega Recharge Project’ on Saturday. In a joint press conference, Chief Ministers of both the states termed as the world’s largest groundwater recharge initiative. It aimed at ensuring sustainable water management for both the states of Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra saying under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi this long pending project got momentum and Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Dr Mohan Yadav signed a pact in Bhopal on Saturday. Maharashtra Chief Minister Fadnavis praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his efforts in bringing the project out of the drawing board. He highlighted immense benefits it would provide, with Madhya Pradesh gaining irrigation for 1.31 lakh hectares and Maharashtra ensuring irrigation access for 2.34 lakh hectares, particularly in saline regions. Expressing their commitment to elevating the initiative further, both the leaders plan to petition the Central Government to designate it a national scheme, akin to Ken-Betwa river-linking project.

 

On the occasion, MP Chief Minister Dr Mohan Yadav highlighted that the State has abundant water resources boasted with 247 rivers and managing them all effectively. He outlined plans to develop three Tapti River streams to maximise agricultural irrigation, ensuring optimal utilisation of water reserves. The initiative will harness 31.13 TMC (Thousand Million Cubic Feet) of water, with Madhya Pradesh receiving 11.76 TMC and Maharashtra securing 19.36 TMC. Notably, the project requires 3,362 hectares of land but will not disrupt any villages, eliminating the need for rehabilitation. Ensuring equitable water distribution remains a priority, as Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra continue efforts to resolve longstanding water-sharing challenges. Both the governments are dedicated to advancing Tapti and Kanhan river projects in a way that balances environmental conservation, agricultural needs and industrial expansion. The newly established irrigation infrastructure will significantly impact Burhanpur and Khandwa districts, reinforcing agricultural productivity. Complementing this initiative, Chhindwara Complex Multipurpose Project aims to optimise water use within Kanhan sub-basin.

 

This venture will benefit Chhindwara’s farmlands while addressing water requirements in Nagpur, marking another step in interstate cooperation. Madhya Pradesh’s commitment to efficient water management extends beyond this project, as it continues collaborative efforts with Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh on similar river-linking programs, Dr Yadav said. He further said the initiative will establish a permanent irrigation facility, benefiting thousands of hectares across both states, including key tehsils in Burhanpur and Khandwa districts. Madhya Pradesh has recently initiated work on Parvati-Kali Sindh-Chambal project in collaboration with Rajasthan and is progressing on the Ken-Betwa river-linking project with Uttar Pradesh; similar efforts are now being undertaken with Maharashtra through this third National River Water Project. CM also outlined that with Maharashtra his government taken up the matter with consensuses as against the other Inter-state river projects. The project aimed at addressing drinking water concerns in Nagpur, Maharashtra, and irrigation needs in Chhindwara, MP, officials from the State Government said. There will be no requirement of rehabilitation in either states.