In a letter to Union Water Resources Minister Uma Bharti, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has urged her that Narmada-Malwa link Project and Bargi diversion project should be declared as national projects. He also urged for early clearance of pending irrigation projects of Madhya Pradesh.
In the letter, the Chief Minister said that fulfilling river linking dream of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, the State government has completed Narmada-Kshipra link Project costing Rs 400 crore.
This will make available water not only for Simhastha-2016 but also for industrial units in Ujjain, Dewas and Pithampur and 300 villages. The Chief Minister said that the state government intends to make concrete arrangements for irrigation of 6,50,000 hectare and drinking water supply to 3000 villages in Malwa region through Narmada-Malwa link Project. Under the scheme, Narmada water’s share of Madhya Pradesh will be lifted and flowed into Yamuna-Ganga basin’s rivers Gambhir, Parwati, Kali Sindh and Kshipra.
The Chief Minister said that estimated cost of Narmada-Malwa link Project is Rs 26,000 crore. State Government cannot mobilise such large sum from its own resources. Therefore, this project needs to be declared as a national project. It fulfills all norms of national project set by Government of India.
In the letter, the Chief Minister also urged to declare Bargi diversion project as a national project. Estimated cost of this project is Rs 5127.22 crore. It has sanction of Planning Commission of India. Under the project, construction of canals is underway to take surplus water of Narmada basin to Ganga basin and irrigate 2.45 lakh hectare in Jabalpur, Katni, Satna and Rewa districts.
Chouhan said that high-powered steering committee of the Union Water Resources Ministry has recommended a proposal for declaring Bargi diversion project as a national project in year 2010. For the last over 4 years, the proposal is pending for being put up before financial expenditure committee of the Union Water Resources Ministry.
The Chief Minister urged Uma Bharti for early sanction of Bargi diversion project as a national project. Drawing Bharti’s attention towards other pending projects of Madhya Pradesh including Indira Sagar canal phase-5, Omkareshwar canal phase-4, Indira Sagar canal phase-1 and 2, lower Goi project and 13 projects of command area development under AIBP programme and urged for their early sanction.