TAG: GS 3: ECOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENT
THE CONTEXT: In a significant decision aimed at transforming agriculture in regions plagued by farmer suicides, the Maharashtra government has approved the ambitious Wainganga-Nalganga river linking project.
EXPLANATION:
Wainganga-Nalganga river linking project
- The project, with an estimated cost of ₹87,342.86 crore, will irrigate around 3.75 lakh hectares of land, significantly benefiting drought-prone areas such as Marathwada.
- The project plans to channel water from the Godavari basin into the Wainganga river project in Buldhana district.
- To achieve this, a total of 426.52 kilometers of connecting canals will be constructed.
- The districts of Nagpur, Wardha, Amravati, Yavatmal, Akola and Buldhana in Vidarbha will benefit from irrigation, drinking water and industrial water supply across 15 talukas.
- Additionally, 31 storage tanks will be built to facilitate water usage during the Rabi season.
- The National Water Development Agency presented the detailed project report in 2018 and the project has since received approval from the Central Water Commission.
- It has also been included in the Integrated State Water Plan during the State Water Council meeting.
- This project promises to enhance agricultural productivity and provide a sustainable water supply to the affected regions, bringing significant relief and development opportunities to the drought-stricken Marathwada area, mentioned the statement issued by the State government.
Wainganga River
- The Wainganga is a river in India originating in the Mahadeo Hills in Mundara in Gondwana region near the village Gopalganj in Seoni, Madhya Pradesh.
- It is a key tributary of the Godavari.
- The river flows south in a winding course through the states of Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra, roughly 580 km (360 mi).
- After joining the Wardha River, the united stream, which is known as the Pranahita River, empties into the Godavari River at Kaleshwaram, Telangana.
- The main stream of the Wainganga originates at Mahadev hills near Gopalganjs Mundara Village, Seoni District, on the southern slopes of the Satpura Range of Madhya Pradesh.
Nalganga River
- The Nalganga River, located in Maharashtra, India, is a left bank tributary of the Purna River, which is part of the Tapi River system.
- It flows for approximately 73 kilometers, originating in the Buldhana district and merging with the Purna River at an elevation of about 218 meters.
- The Nalganga Dam, built in 1967 near Malkapur, serves primarily for irrigation.
- It is an earthfill dam with a height of 29.8 meters and a length of 2,516 meters, holding a gross storage capacity of around 71,860 cubic kilometers.
