M'rashtra clears ₹10,800-cr river linking project

The state cabinet recently decided to implement the Damanganga-Pinjal river linking project, which was originally meant to involve Gujarat as well as Maharashtra. The ₹10,800-crore project is expected to divert 73 tmc (thousand million cubic feet) of water towards drought-prone Marathwada, North Maharashtra and Mumbai. Of the total quantum of water, 31 tmc will come to Mumbai from the project and could solve the city's water requirements till 2060. The project has been in cold storage for over two years since Gujarat didn't agree to a water swap of 15 tmc. The project will tap excess water from the Damanganga, Pinjal, Nar, Par and Tapi rivers, which would otherwise have flowed into the sea. 25 tmc will go to Marathwada, 11 tmc to North Maharashtra's Girna dam which gives water to Kalwan, Satana and Malegaon, 15 tmc to Jalgaon in the Tapi basin and 21 tmc to Mumbai. The state hopes to begin tendering on river linkages by December once environmental feasibility is completed. BMC is expected to contribute ₹2,754 crore towards the project.