We did it: BJP, NCP take credit over long-pending Nilwande dam in Ahmednagar

On Thursday, Fadnavis announced, “The wait of 50 years finally is over. It is a historic moment. It is a dream come true for Ahmednagar and Nashik districts with the completion of Nilwande dam”.

In 2014, as the CM, Fadnavis had reviewed all pending irrigation projects and directed the water resources department to accord the highest priority to incomplete work. A policy decision was also taken by then water resources minister Girish Mahajan to not allow new irrigation projects. Instead, it was emphasised that all incomplete works should be fast-tracked.

In March this year, the Shinde-Fadnavis government, which came to power in the state in June 2022, sanctioned Rs 5,177 crore for the Nilwande Dam by giving the fifth revised administrative approval. Fadnavis had also made a provision of Rs 425 crore for the Nilwande Dam in the State Budget. It helped resume the work on the left and right canals of the Nilavande Dam.

Fadnavis, who also holds the water resources department, said, “The 85-km long main canal work has been completed. The canal will benefit a total of six talukas namely Akole, Sangamner, Shrirampur, Rahata, and Kopargaon in the Ahmednagar district and Sinnar in the Nashik district. About 43,865-hectare area of 113 villages will come under irrigation.”

“The work on 97 km of the main right canal at Nilwande Dam is also in progress. This work will be completed within a few months. Due to the right canal, 20,395 hectare will be irrigated,” he added.

After the completion of the work on the right and left canals, he said, “A total area of 64,260 hectare in the Nagar and Nashik districts will come under irrigation. Most importantly, he said, “water distribution will be done using PDN (Pipe Distribution Network). “This will save water and every drop will be used.”

On his part, NCP state president and former water resources minister Jayant Patil pointed out that an allocation of Rs 1100 crore was made between 1970 to 2019 for the Nilwande dam project. “We are glad about the development of the Nilwande dam. But despite the Covid-19 pandemic, we ensured the work came to a decisive stage. We had not stopped the irrigation projects despite the lockdown,” said Patil Thursday.