Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has instructed the Water Resources Department to hasten the progress of ongoing irrigation schemes for timely completion. He highlighted the state government’s significant budget allocations for this sector during a recent high-level review meeting.
Fadnavis specifically reviewed key projects like the Nar-Par-Girna River Linking Project, Damanganga-Ekdare-Godavari, Damanganga-Vaitarna-Godavari, and the Konkan Ulhas-Vaitarna and Godavari Valley River Linking Projects. He emphasized the importance of initiatives such as river-linking projects, Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY), and Baliraja Jal Sanjeevani Yojana in transforming Maharashtra’s irrigation landscape.
One of the ambitious projects, the Wainganga-Nalganga river-linking initiative, aims to transfer 63.74 TMC of water from the Wainganga sub-basin to the water-deficient Nalganga sub-basin in Buldhana district. This project, with a substantial irrigation potential of 6,11,150 hectares, is set to benefit eight districts in the region.
Fadnavis also assessed the progress of PMKSY in Maharashtra, noting the completion of 20 projects with seven still ongoing. As of March 2026, the scheme has achieved irrigation potential on 4.30 lakh hectares, reaching 74% of the target against the ultimate goal of 5.79 lakh hectares.
The PMKSY encompasses 29 major and medium irrigation projects with a total cost of Rs 24,721 crore, including central assistance of Rs 4,288 crore. Additionally, to address agricultural challenges in vulnerable districts like Vidarbha and Marathwada, the Central government introduced the Baliraja Jal Sanjeevani Yojana as part of a special relief package.
Updates on progress and future plans under the ‘Viksit Maharashtra’ initiative by the Water Resources Department were also presented during the meeting.
