A tripartite MoU for the Revised Parbati-Kalisindh-Chambal-ERCP Link Project was signed between the Governments of Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and the Central Government at Ministry of Jal Shakti at Shramshakti Bhawan New Delhi on Sunday. In presence of Union Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Dr Mohan Yadav and Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma, Secretary, Union Jal Shakti Ministry Debashree Mukherjee, Madhya Pradesh Government Additional Chief Secretary, Water Resources Dr Rajesh Rajora and Additional Chief Secretary, Water Resources, Government of Rajasthan, Abhay Kumar signed the MoU. Dr Mohan Yadav said that under the leadership of the Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Parbati-Kalisindh-Chambal project, which is pending for almost two decades, will now take a new shape. This will benefit 13 districts of Chambal and Malwa region of Madhya Pradesh. Water availability will increase in water-deficient districts such as Morena, Gwalior, Shivpuri, Guna, Bhind and Sheopur and industrialisation will be further gain pace in industrial belt districts such as Indore, Ujjain, Dhar, Agar-Malwa, Shajapur, Dewas and Rajgarh.

 

It will be a boost and irrigate about three lakh hectares immensely benefitting Malwa and Chambal regions. Religious and tourist sector in these areas will also develop. This project is a boon for Western Madhya Pradesh. Dr Mohan Yadav said that this project will come to being in less than 5 years, the current cost of which is about Rs 75000 crore. About 1.5 crore population of the state will benefit from this project. This will improve the living standards of the people of by addressing problems like poverty, unemployment, illiteracy etc. Union Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat said that today is like a sunrise for 26 water deficient districts of Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan. The project will irrigate about 5.60 lakh hectare area as well as help raise the water level by storing water in dams and big ponds. An agreement was reached between the states of Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan in a very short time by integrating the Parbati-Kalisindh-Chambal project with the Eastern Rajasthan Canal Project giving it the status of a project of national importance, for which both the governments deserve commendations.

 

This project is an ideal example of federal federalism. Chief Minister of Rajasthan Bhajan Lal Sharma said that this project will help in better utilization of water resources of Chambal Basin of Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh which will benefit the industrial and agricultural sectors of both the states. In future the relations between the two states and will be more intense. Under the tripartite MoU, this link project envisages providing irrigation in a total area of 5.60 lakh hectares in the states of Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan as well as providing water for drinking and industrial use in 13 districts of Eastern Rajasthan and 13 districts of Malwa and Chambal region of Madhya Pradesh. The MoU covers the scope of work of the link project, sharing of water, exchange of water, sharing of costs and benefits, implementation mechanism and arrangements for management and control of water in the Chambal Basin. It is noteworthy that the feasibility report of Parbati-Kalisindh-Chambal Link Project was prepared in February 2004 and the proposal of RCP was brought by the Rajasthan Government in the year 2019. Both the projects have been integrated in the present MoU.