A meeting of Narmada Control Board chaired by Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan here on Tuesday sanctioned the Rs 2,143 crore Narmada-Malwa-Gambhir link Project.
The project will provide irrigation facility in 158 villages in 50,000 hectare in Indore and Ujjain districts. Indore’s Yashwant Sagar can also be filled up repeatedly through this project.
The project will not need any re-settlement and rehabilitation. The meeting also gave administrative sanction of Rs 56.50 crore for Dabri lift irrigation project and Rs 97.21 crore for Sihara lift irrigation scheme.
Public Works Minister Sartaj Singh, Finance Minister Jayant Malaiya, Forest Minister Gaurishankar Shejwar, Agriculture Minister Gaurishankar Bisen, Energy Minister Rajendra Shukla, Revenue Minister Rampal Singh, Minister of State for Narmada Valley Development lal Singh Arya and Chief Secretary Anthony DeSa were present on the occasion.
Chouhan said that linking rivers of Malwa region with Narmada is the best option for supply of water in the region. The Chief Minister said that he has met the Prime Minister and urged him to declare Narmada-Malwa link Project as a National Project. The Chief Minister said that Narmada-Malwa link Project is also important for utilising Madhya Pradesh’s share in Narmada water before year 2024. Through these projects, water will be available for irrigation, industries and drinking in Malwa region.
This project has been proposed in view of declining groundwater level and shortage of drinking water in Malwa region. Neither a dam will be constructed under the project nor any family re-settled. The project will irrigate 158 villages covering 50,000 hectare land in Indore and Ujjain districts. From the project costing Rs 2143.46 crore, 12.5 cusecs of water will be used for irrigation, 1.5 cusecs for drinking water and 1 cusec water will be used by industries. Under the project, Narmada water will be uplifted to a height of 416 metres.
Under the project, water will be uplifted from Jobat dam. The project will irrigate 3000 hectares in 8 villages each in Alirajpur and Dhar districts. The project will cost Rs 56.50 crore.
The Sihada irrigation project costing Rs 97.20 crore will irrigate 5,750 hectares in 17 villages of Khandwa district. Under the project, water from Indira Sagar will be uplifted.
It is noteworthy that before this project, Narmada-Kshipra link Project has been successfully implemented in the state, which will make available water to villages and cities apart from irrigation and crores of devotees will have the benefit of holy dip in the water of two holy rivers during Simhastha.
The meeting sanctioned amendment proposal regarding powers of Narmada Valley Development Department to sanction tenders. Additional Chief Secretary Ajay Nath, Principal Secretary Narmada Valley Development Rajneesh Vaish, Principal Secretary Public Works Department KK Singh and Principal Secretary Commerce and Industries Mohammad Sulaiman were also present on the occasion.