Maharashtra Greenlights ₹87,342-Crore River Linking Project.

In a major move to address agricultural challenges and support regions affected by farmer suicides, the Maharashtra government has approved the ambitious Wainganga-Nalganga river linking project. The decision was finalized during a Cabinet meeting on Wednesday.

With an estimated cost of ₹87,342.86 crore, the project aims to irrigate approximately 3.75 lakh hectares of land, providing substantial benefits to drought-prone areas such as Marathwada. The initiative involves channeling water from the Godavari basin into the Wainganga river system in Buldhana district, with plans to construct 426.52 kilometers of connecting canals.

The project will serve several districts in Vidarbha, including Nagpur, Wardha, Amravati, Yavatmal, Akola, and Buldhana, offering irrigation, drinking water, and industrial water supply across 15 talukas. Additionally, 31 storage tanks will be built to ensure water availability during the Rabi season.

The detailed project report was presented by the National Water Development Agency in 2018 and has since received approval from the Central Water Commission. It is also part of the Integrated State Water Plan approved by the State Water Council.

The state government anticipates that the project will boost agricultural productivity and provide a reliable water supply, delivering significant relief and development opportunities to the drought-stricken Marathwada region.

HBL