River-linking project finds mention in state budget

Nashik/Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: The river linking project aimed at bringing west-flowing water into Godavari and Tapi basins found mention in the state budget presented by deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar on Monday.
However, residents of Nashik said that the river linking projects mentioned in the budget speech were largely aimed at providing water relief to Marathwada rather than helping water-deficient Nashik, which is struggling to find a place in Delhi-Mumbai industrial corridor due to lack of water availability.
"Nar-Par-Girna (NPG) project, estimated to cost Rs 7,500 crore, will provide irrigation facilities to 49,500 hectares of land in Nashik and Jalgaon districts. Daman Ganga-Ekdare-Godavari (DEG) project, estimated to cost Rs 2,300 crore, will restore irrigation facilities to 9,766 hectares of land in Jayakwadi Dam command area, and 2,987 hectares of land in Nashik will benefit from it," said Ajit Pawar in his speech.
"The budgetary support has ensured that the works on these schemes will now begin, thus bringing water to the parched areas of north Maharashtra and Marathwada. Though there is no mention of any amount, the financial allocation will be made part by part as the works progress in the irrigation-deficit regions of the state," said an officer from water resources department (WRD). Tapi mega recharge scheme, estimated at Rs19,300 crore, also found mention in the budget, and this further means that eastern parts of Jalgaon district on the right bank of Tapi will benefit from it.
"All these schemes were sanctioned by the state govt prior to the elections. Daman Ganga-Vaitarna-Godavari-Dev (DVG) river linking project was also among those sanctioned on Oct 14, 2024. This should have been prioritised because industries in Nashik would have benefited," said Rajendra Jadhav, president, Jalchintan Abhiyantriki Sanstha, Nashik. While state budget mentioned an expenditure of Rs 2,300 crore for river linking project involving Damanganga, Ekdare, and Godavari rivers, water rights activists urge for a time-bound action plan to execute the project.
Nearly 9,766 hectares of agricultural area from the command area of the Jayakwadi major irrigation project is expected to benefit from the project. Water rights activists claimed that the river linking projects related to Marathwada have been reduced to poll rhetoric with no concrete action in the past decade.
"People from Marathwada, people from the region are struggling to get daily water supply," said activist Rajendra Datey-Patil.
Mohan Phule of Marathwada Janta Vikas Parishad said, "It is the third generation from Marathwada which is struggling for basic need of water. While on one hand, the govt is talking of Vikasit Bharat (developed India), on the other hand, Marathwada appears to be an undeveloped area when it comes to water," he said.