Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh governments inked memorandum of understanding (MOU) for the Eastern Rajasthan Canal Project (ERCP) in presence of union Jal Shakti minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat.
Rajasthan chief minister Bhajan Lal Sharma signed pact with Madhya Pradesh chief minister Mohan Yadav.
This long awaited MoU will pave the way availability of drinking water and irrigation in 13 districts of Rajasthan while benefiting the Madhya Pradesh's Chambal and Malwa belts, which are fertile and important for agriculture.
Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat said that signing of MoU is the golden moment for both the states.
“With the implementation and completion of this project 5.6 lakh ha area of 26 districts of both the states will come under irrigation. Apart from that this project will cater to drinking water needs for 30-40 years. This will not only resolve the problem of drought in many parts of the country but also bring solution to flooding also,” he said.
The MoU was signed today on 28.01.2024 by Dr. Rajesh Kumar Rajora, ACS, WRD, Govt. of MP, Abhay Kumar, ACS, WRD, Govt. of Rajasthan and Debashree Mukherjee, Secretary, DoWR, RD&GR, MoJS, GoI on broad planning of the Parbati-Kalisindh-Chambal (PKC) link duly integrated with Eastern Rajasthan Canal Project (ERCP) and preparation of its DPR.
Shriram Vedire, Chairman of the Task Force on Interlinking of Rivers and other officials of MoJS and states of Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan were present on the occasion.
Led by Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, Union Minister of Jal Shakti, intense consensus building exercise was done by the Jal Shakti ministry during the past few years to build a consensus amongst both the states of Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh to implement this project.
The Background
The Feasibility Report (FR) of Parbati-Kalisindh-Chambal (PKC) link project under National Perspective Plan (NPP) was prepared and circulated to the concerned State Governments in February-2004. In the year 2019, Rajasthan came up with the proposal of ERCP. With a view to utilize the water resources optimally, the integration of the Parbati-Kalisindh-Chambal (PKC) link of NPP with Eastern Rajasthan Canal Project (ERCP) was discussed in 11th and 12th meeting of the Task Force for Interlinking of Rivers (TFILR) in year 2019.
Thereafter, the issue of integration of ERCP with PKC link has been deliberated regularly with states at various platforms.Looking at the importance and utility of the Modified PKC link project, Special Committee for Interlinking of Rivers (SCILR), in its 20th meeting held on 13.12.2022 in New Delhi has approved the “Modified PKC-ERCP” link as the part of the National Perspective Plan of Interlinking of rivers in the country and also declared it as one of the priority link projects in the country.
Benefits of ERCP
This link project proposes to provide drinking and industrial water in 13 districts of eastern Rajasthan, Malwa and Chambal regions of Madhya Pradesh apart from providing irrigation in 2.8 lakh ha. area (or more) each in both the states (total of 5.6 lakh ha or more) including supplementation of enroute tanks in the states. The Modified PKC link project will help in utilizing the available water resources of Chambal basin optimally and economically. The various components of Modified PKC link including areas of benefit shall be firmed up at DPR stage in consultation with both the states.
The preparation of DPR of this Modified PKC-ERCP link is already in progress. Based on the outcome of DPR, a Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) would be finalized amongst the States of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Union Government, covering the scope of the work of the link Project, sharing of water, exchange of water, sharing of costs & benefits, implementation mechanism and arrangements for management and control of water in Chambal basin etc. to be signed by Chief Ministers of both the States and Minister of Jal Shakti for the implementation of this link. The Union Minister of Jal Shakti, Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, requested both the states to finalise the DPR of various components by respective states as early as possible so as to initiate the implementation of link project at the earliest.
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