MoU signed by Maha, Madhya Pradesh for Tapti Basin project

Mumbai: In a major step towards inter-state collaboration, Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh inked a historic MoU on the Tapi Basin Mega Recharge Project which aims to benefit the two neighbouring states by increasing irrigation potential.

The MoU was signed on Saturday evening in Bhopal between Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and his Madhya Pradesh counterpart Dr Mohan Yadav.

The Tapti (also called Tapi) River is on the south of the Narmada River and flows westwards from Madhya Pradesh to Maharashtra to Gujarat before draining into the Arabian Sea.

In Maharashtra, 2,34,706 hectares (approximately 5.78 lakh acres) would be benefited in Jalgaon in North Maharashtra and Akola, Buldhana and Amravati in Vidarbha region.

In Madhya Pradesh, 1,23,082 hectares would be benefited in two districts of Burhanpur and Khandwa.

The total water usage would be 31.13 TMC of which Maharashtra’s share would be 19.37 TMC while Madhya Pradesh’s share would be 11.76 TMC.

The estimated project cost is Rs 19,244 crore, as per 2022–23 estimates.

Fadnavis stated that today is a historic day for both Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh. “We had earlier envisioned the Tapti Mega Recharge Project, and now both states have signed the MoU for it. The last such meeting was held in 2000, and the next one has now taken place in 2025. However, both states have remained in continuous dialogue regarding the project,” the Maharashtra CM said.

After Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government came to power at the Centre, he emphasized the need to expedite inter-state water agreements, he said.

“Since 2016, we have accelerated the pace of this initiative,” Fadnavis said, referring to his first term as the CM.

This initiative will bring transformative change to the lives of farmers and give a strong boost to the economy.

Both CMs will now jointly request the Central Government to approve this project as a Centrally Sponsored Scheme, Fadnavis added.

Dr Yadav said Madhya Pradesh is the cradle of rivers, with over 247 rivers flowing through the state. “Its water resources are vast. For almost 25 years, several interstate projects could not progress due to lack of consensus between states,” he added.

“After projects like the Parbati-Kalisindh-Chambal in coordination with Rajasthan and Ken-Betwa link project with Uttar Pradesh, this new collaboration with Maharashtra for the Tapi Basin Mega Recharge Project will be a milestone for national development,” the MP CM said.

Discussions between Maharashtra and MP also took place on constructing the Dangurli Barrage on the Banganga River, a weir on the Bagh River, and the Lava Ghoghari-Totladoh Water Exchange Plan, with both states reaching a preliminary consensus on these as well.

Key Proposed Structures in the Tapti Project:

• Low Diversion Weir at Kharia Gutighat Dam Site: Proposed on the border between Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra, located in Khalwa Tehsil (Madhya Pradesh) and Amaravati Tehsil (Maharashtra). It will have a water storage capacity of 8.31 TMC. 

• Right Bank Canal – Phase I: A 221 km long canal from the right bank of the Khariya Gutighat Weir, of which 110 km will be in Madhya Pradesh. This will provide irrigation over 55,089 hectares in Madhya Pradesh. 

• Left Bank Canal – Phase I: A 135.64 km long canal from the left bank of the weir, of which 100.42 km will lie in Madhya Pradesh. It will irrigate 44,993 hectares in the state. 

• Left Bank Canal – Phase II: Beginning from RD 90.89 km of Phase I, this canal will flow through a 14 km tunnel and stretch to 123.97 km in total, serving irrigation in 80,000 hectares in Maharashtra alone.