MP to ink pact with Maharashtra for Tapti Basin Mega Recharge project: CM Mohan Yadav

Bhopal, Feb 7 (PTI) Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav on Friday said his government will soon sign an agreement with neighbouring Maharashtra to jointly roll out the Tapti Basin Mega Recharge Project which he described as "the world's largest groundwater recharge scheme".

Hurdles in this inter-state initiative have now been removed, and discussions with the Maharashtra government are progressing, he said after holding a meeting with officials from both the states here.

The Tapti river originates in Madhya Pradesh's Betul district and flows through parts of Maharashtra.

"Under the Tapti Basin Mega Recharge Yojana, three streams of the river will be developed in collaboration with the Maharashtra government, ensuring optimal use of every drop of river water," said CM Yadav.

Plans were afoot to invite Union Minister for Jal Shakti C R Patil and Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to Bhopal to initiate the formal agreement process, he informed.

Discussions will also be held with the Centre to have the project designated as a `National Water Project', he said.

The Tapti Scheme will utilise a total of 31.13 thousand million cubic (TMC) feet of water, with 11.76 TMC allocated to Madhya Pradesh and 19.36 TMC to Maharashtra.

It will need 3,362 hectares of land in Madhya Pradesh for the construction of dams and canals. As villages will not be affected, there will be no issue of rehabilitation, the chief minister added.

"Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the state remains committed to equitably sharing its river resources with neighbouring states in a fair and amicable manner," Yadav added.

The BJP government is actively working to resolve long-pending water-sharing issues, ensuring that farmers as well as industries get enough water, he said.

Upon completion of the Tapti project, a permanent irrigation facility will be established, benefiting 1,23,082 hectares of land in Madhya Pradesh and 2,34,706 hectares in Maharashtra, said Yadav.

"The project will specifically benefit four tehsils in Madhya Pradesh, including Burhanpur, Nepanagar, Khaknar and Khalwa in the Burhanpur and Khandwa districts," he added.

It will ensure reliable water supply to the northern regions of Maharashtra and southern parts of Madhya Pradesh, he said.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis was also keen on making concrete efforts to resolve the issues related to the long-pending Tapti and Kanhan river water projects in collaboration with MP, said Yadav.

Kanhan river originates in MP's Chhindwara district and flows through parts of Maharashtra.

Yadav emphasised the need to safeguard Madhya Pradesh's water interests in the Kanhan (Jamghat) multi-purpose project, proposed within the Tapti Basin and Kanhan sub-basin.

The MP government had in 2019 sanctioned Rs 5,470.95 crore for the Kanhan project.

The Chhindwara Complex Multipurpose Project, proposed by Madhya Pradesh for water utilisation in the Kanhan sub-basin, will benefit both the states, the chief minister said.

It will provide water to Nagpur city in Maharashtra while also ensuring adequate irrigation for agricultural areas of Chhindwara, he said. PTI LAL NP KRK

Source: PTI