Narmada project update

The Narmada project, tipped as Gujarat’s lifeline, is set to get a big boost. The Union government plans to pump in Rs 11,000 crore to help Gujarat government complete canal networking of Narmada project by 2015. Canal networking is under construction for taking waters to 18 lakh hectares (ha) of farm fields falling under Narmada command. To put things in perspective, a total of over Rs 30,000 crore has been invested in the project so far. An agreement with Government of India (GoI) for allocating Rs 6,777 crore for constructing branch and minor canals as also distributaries is almost final. What’s more, an additional Rs 4,000 crore is expected flow in the form of grants for sub-minors, field channels and drainage to take waters right up to fields, say sources close to the development. “GoI has agreed to a tie-up till 2014-15 with Gujarat government for canal networking up to the point sub-minors start. A memorandum of understanding (MoU) for Rs 7,782 crore is being finalised. Of this, GoI will fund 87 per cent which comes to Rs 6,777 crore,” said a senior state government official. The Centre will allocate about 25% for completing canal networking up to Ahmedabad — a total of Rs 349 crore still needs to be spent to finish this work. However, GoI plans to give about 90% of cost as grant for the rest of Gujarat, considered to be drought-prone, under the Accelerated Irrigation Benefit Programme’s Bharat Nirman scheme of GoI. The cost of canal networking for North Gujarat is Rs 3,015 crore; Rs 2,996 crore for Saurashtra and Rs 1,422 crore for Kutch. As for developing networking in 18 lakh ha of farm fields, the official said, the state is in the process of finalising a proposal under a GoI scheme in which it can get 50 per cent of funds from the Central Command Area Development Programme (CODP), for developing sub-minors, field channel and drainage system. Estimates suggest the total work will cost Rs 8,000 crore, of which Rs 4,000 crore is receivable as grant. To end funds crunch, it is expected to quicken up command area development, whose 75 per cent of work is yet to be completed.