With insufficient Budget allocation, Gosikhurd irrigation project unlikely to meet its 2024 deadline

Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis while presenting the state budget 2023-24 Thursday said, “We have provided Rs 1,500 crore for the GNIP. It will be completed in the year 2024.”

Highly placed sources in the Vidarbha Irrigation Development Corporation said that there are two options to meet the 2024 timeline. “Firstly, the state government will have to allocate Rs 4,500 crore. Secondly, the ongoing project work needs to be fast-tracked without compromising on its quality,” they said.

Sources revealed that the latest budgetary allocation will only partly push the project forward and hence it may take at least two to three years to complete.

The Gosikhurd irrigation project would benefit over 40 lakh farmers of the Vidarbha region, which has recorded the maximum number of farmers’ suicides. The inordinate delay in completing the project, which is being executed by the Vidarbha Irrigation Development Corporation (VIDC), is attributed to the paucity of funds and complex relocation of villages.

Fadnavis during his budget presentation mentioned the significance of GINP as it would enhance the irrigation potential and farmers in the Vidarbha region. The completion of the project will bring 2.5 lakh hectares of land under irrigation. Its benefit will be reaped by several lakh farmers across Bhandara, Chandrapur, Gadchiroli, and Nagpur districts.

Last year, former deputy CM Ajit Pawar of the NCP allocated Rs 853 crore in the budget for the project, as against the water resources department’s demand of Rs 1,500 crore.

“As against the sanctioned cost of Rs 18,500 crore, Rs 14,251 crore has already been incurred on the project,” Pawar said.

The Gosikhurd National Irrigation Project is one project which has earned a dubious record for non-completion even after three decades. Lack of funds coupled with a lack of political will saw the project failing to make progress from the 1990s to 2000. However, former CM Prithviraj Chavan gave the project a fresh impetus by pumping Rs 11,000 crore towards the project.

The project was inaugurated by former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi in 1984. The original cost of the project was then pegged at Rs 372 crore, which was later increased to Rs 5,659 crore. The Central Water Commission gave approval for the revised cost of Rs 7,778 crore in 2007. In March 2012, the project cost was again hiked to Rs 13,739 crore and then to Rs 18,500 crore in September 2016.

“The river Wainganga has plenty of water. But as the project remains incomplete 40 lakh farmers are being deprived access to water to irrigate their fields to their optimum,” said a VIDC officer.

According to the water resources department, the project will bring 2.5 lakh hectares of area under irrigation in the three districts of Bhandara, Chandrapur, and Nagpur.