Centre plans 'national tag' for state's river interlinking project with Gujarat.

The Centre has decided to fund 90 per cent of the project cost for a river interlinking project involving Maharashtra and Gujarat. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis recently said the Union government had agreed to accord 'national project' tag to the ambitious Par-Tapi-Narmada interlinking project.

Once tagged nationally important, states can collectively seek 90 per cent of the project's cost from the Centre. The project, which would involve construction of seven dams over a 2,573-sq-km catchment area across the two states, is estimated to cost Rs. 6,000 crore.

'Union Minister for Water Resources and River Development Uma Bharti has agreed to declare it as a national project,' Fadnavis informed the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly during a discussion on Thursday. Official sources said the interlinking project was vital to both states as it was expected to bring an additional 2.69 lakh hectare farm land under irrigation.

Fadnavis indicated that the 'national project' label would benefit Maharashtra the most. With Gujarat accounting for a higher catchment area, Fadnavis said Maharashtra would need to construct 14 smaller dams and implement lift irrigation to tap its share of water.

The Maharashtra government has also staked claim to surplus water from the project.


THE INDIAN EXPRESS