Nagpur, 25 Feb

(HS): The ambitious Wainganga-Nalganga River Connect Project has been granted

administrative approval by the State Government. The project is expected to

bring revolutionary change in irrigation sector in the Vidarbha region of

Maharashtra. The project on completion will resolve problem of drinking water and

industry in at least eight districts of Vidarbha.

The Gosekhurd Project

on Wainganga and Lower Wardha Project on Nalganga will be connected through

388.28 km canal passing through 38 Tehsils, benefitting Nagpur, Wardha,

Amravati, Yavatmal, Akola, Buldana, Washim and Bhandara districts. The

additional water collected in Gosekhurd project will be transferred to Lower

Wardha project. Water Resources Minister Girish Mahajan took the decision and

got approval under the leadership of Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. The

canal connecting the two projects includes 13 tunnels of a total 20.49 km stretch.

The river

linking project will be able to irrigate about 4.43 lakh hectare of land, and

will resolve problems of water supply to agriculture and industry by making

available 64 TMC water.

For the project

31,494 hectare of land will be acquired. The Government has also readied

rehabilitation plan for 38 villages which will be affected. The river

connecting project is expected to be completed within next ten years.

---------------

Hindusthan Samachar / Ajay Vasant Mardikar