Ambitious Wainganga-Nalganga inter river basin linking project got a shot in the arm after Maharashtra Government approved a plan for diversion of 164.67 TMC2 surplus water from the Gosikhurd Dam. The inter-linking plans to transfer surplus water from Eastern coast to Western part of Vidarbha. So, Vidarbha Irrigation Development Corporation (VIDC) undertook reassessment of water allocation plan of Gosikhurd Dam, the biggest dam in Vidarbha, and after it tweaked the distribution pattern, it found surplus water that now is planned to be utilised for diversion. So with the identification of water resources in place, the next leg is development of set of canals whose length would be about 426 kms, pipe distribution network, lift irrigation schemes and new storage dams, about 41 and 31 new reservoirs, to utilise the water resources.

 

Maharashtra Government has already started work on preparation of the DPR and first of the work tender for survey was already awarded. As part of the new readjustment, VIDC has now allocated 54.62 TMC2 water from Butinala irrigation project and same is going to be released in the right bank canal of Gosikhurd Project. The water will be released at km 35.1 so that it can feed the command area in its viccinity. Further, another 41.57 TMC2 from Haranghat Project would be released into Asolamendha project. In addition, 24.41 TMC2 from Wagholi Buti, 44.07 TMC2 from Borghat water is going to lifted from these two lift irrigation schemes. So the redistribution of the water resources ensured that Asolamendha command area too gets is full share of water and the surplus water of about 164.67 TMC2 from Gosikhurd can then be utilised for diversion.

 

Also, VIDC at its August meeting also approved to utilised 7.60 TMC2 at Godhazari Dam, as it was identified as surplus from the quota reserved for industrial use. So this surplus water is now going to be utilised for irrigation purpose, making-up for any shortfall that may occur due to sparing of water for the inter-linking project. The meeting has taken a look at 1540.18 TMC2 water at Gosikhurd and 128.28 TMC2 water in Oslamendha project and then went for rejig of existing allotment schemes to spare water for the inter-linking project. Thus in August 2025 VIDC sent a proposal to Water Resources Department (WRD) proposing readjustment of the allocation to various sectors and transferring the surplus to proposed inter river basin project. Gosikhurd Project is now a national project of importance and same has enabled liberal financial resources from Central Government to harness full potential of targeted irrigation for 2,52,592 Ha farm land in districts of Bhandara, Nagpur and Chandrapur.

 

Already, WRD has provided 4th revised administration approval to the projects whose ancillary items, mostly the lift irrigation schemes and canal network are being developed for planned utilisaton of the water resources. The river inter-liking project is one of the most prestigious and important for Vidarbha Region and much hinges on its success. Given the scale and resources that would be needed, nearly Rs 90,000 crores, the timeline of the project and its speed of execution would be closely monitored. Lifting of extra water from Gosikhurd and transferring it to Western Vidarbha, basically the rain shadow area, of Akola and Buldhana district, would also take care of the salt pan in that part of State.