mumbai

Updated: Aug 16, 2019 03:26 IST

In order to provide relief to drought-hit districts in the state, chief minister (CM) Devendra Fadnavis on Thursday said the government has planned four river-linking projects and a 480-km long tunnel to divert water. Fadnavis was speaking at the Mantralaya after hoisting the flag on the occasion of Independence Day.

He said that the state cabinet had sanctioned the proposal to raise loans for four projects that would inter-link rivers across the state and divert water to Marathwada. The announcement comes after the state recently opted out of an inter-state river-linking project of Par-Taapi-Nramada, after the Gujarat governemnt refused to release 434 million metre cube water from Ukai dam to the Tapi basin.

“The intra-state projects include the interlinking of Nar-Par-Girana, Damanganga-Godavari, Par-Godavari and Damanganga-Vaitarana. This will ensure availability of water to parched Marathwada and north Maharashtra,” said an official from chief minister’s office.

Fadnavis also said the state has planned a tunnel that would lift excessive water from Vainganga dam and channel it to five districts in Vidarbha – Amravati, Buldhana, Washim, Akola, Yavatmal. Water from Vainganga flows out to Telagana , CM said.

“Although no policy decision has been taken yet, the state government has a specific plan for the tunnel for water lifting. According to estimates, it will cost ₹5,000 crore, which will be raised by taking a loan. This is the best solution to solve the water crisis in these districts,” said an official from the water resources department.

Further, he said that the government plans to complete all incomplete irrigation projects in western Maharashtra with funding from the Central government. He added that the state government was determined to complete rehabilitation of the flood-affected families in Kolhapur, Sangli and Satara in record time.

Meanwhile, the official from the water resources department said that the government has received a report from the Bhave committee, which had been appointed to study the proposal to lift 67 TMC water from Koyana dam in Satara and divert it to Mumbai.

According to the report, diverting water to the city from the dam would pose a legal challenge, owing to the involvement of two other states. “We have sought legal opinion to go ahead with the diversion of water from Koyana and appointed another committee to study the way out,” the official said.