Marathwada, a region with a history of unfulfilled dreams, is now looking towards the Marathwada Water Grid Project as a beacon of hope as it commemorates 75 years of Marathwada Mukti Divas on September 17, 2023. This project carries the promise of finally addressing the long-standing development backlog in this drought-prone area.
On September 16, 2023, the Maharashtra government convened a special cabinet meeting in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, part of the Marathwada administrative division. During this meeting, significant decisions were made regarding Marathwada, including the approval of various projects and the allocation of grants for development initiatives in the region.
Speaking to the media following the meeting, Maharashtra’s Chief Minister, Eknath Shinde, expressed his belief that the Marathwada Water Grid Project would be a game-changer for the region, particularly benefiting the farmers who have struggled due to recurrent droughts.
Chief Minister Shinde remarked, “The Marathwada Water Grid Project can be a very big game-changer for this region. Unfortunately, during the two-and-a-half years of rule of the MVA government, it was put in cold storage. Had they been pushing it a little more, it would have advanced ahead by now. But it is our ill fate that they (Uddhav Thackeray’s government) did not do it. I don’t know if it was halted intentionally. We are taking it ahead. The union government and Honourable Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself is ready to extend all the support we need for this so that the drought-hit region of Marathwada gets water, and the farmers in the region prosper. So, in this way, it is a very big game-changer project.”
#WATCH | Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar, Maharashtra: On the Marathwada Water Grid project, Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde says,"…It could prove to be a game changer…Unfortunately, it was in cold storage…We are taking it forward…Prime Minister Modi will also help(for it) so… pic.twitter.com/8bi5Cjptrp
— ANI (@ANI) September 16, 2023
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Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis also addressed the gathering after the Cabinet meeting. He revealed that the state government had submitted an updated proposal for the “Har Ghar Jal” program to the central government and requested assistance. “When the Har Ghar Jal program was announced, many states sent their proposals to the Centre. Unfortunately, the Maharashtra CM at that time did not send any proposal. Now our government has sent a newly updated proposal and requested them (Centre) to help us,” said Devendra Fadnavis.
The Marathwada Water Grid Project is an ambitious endeavor aimed at ensuring a consistent and sustainable water supply to the drought-prone Marathwada region. Former Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis first introduced the project in 2016, with an initial budget of Rs. 25,000 crore. However, the project’s budget has seen revisions and could now reach up to Rs. 40,000 crore by the time it reaches completion, with funds allocated for various stages of the project.
Marathwada comprises eight districts, including Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Beed, Latur, Dharashiv, Parbhani, Hingoli, Nanded, and Jalna, housing over 12,000 villages.
In July 2019, the state cabinet approved Rs. 4,300 crores for the first phase of the water grid project in the Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar and Jalna districts. However, progress was halted after the state elections in October 2019. The project, which had remained stalled during the subsequent MVA government’s tenure, is now being revitalized under the leadership of the Eknath Shinde government, as evidenced by the recent cabinet meeting held in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar.
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