Soz happy about arid areas of Rajasthan getting Narmada waters

New Delhi, Mar 28 (UNI) Union Water Resources Minister Saifuddin Soz today expressed his happiness over the flow of Narmada waters to arid Rajasthan districts of Barmer and Jalore through Narmada Canal Project and hoped that the water will be of immense help to the people of the state.

The 458 km Narmada Canal under the Sardar Sarovar Project (SSP) is designed to deliver 2,500 cusecs of water at Gujarat-Rajasthan border and the canal in Rajasthan which is 74 km long criss-crossing the districts of Rajasthan, utilising its share of water.

Prof Soz in a message said that his ministry had been providing 90 per cent assistance to Rajasthan Government for the project construction and for Gujarat it was providing help under the Accelerated Irrigation Benefit Programme for the main canal project providing Rs 4,887 crore for Gujarat and Rs 625 crore for Rajsthan.

This allocation also happened to be the highest allocation for any single project.

He said the central assistance was provided to Rajasthan for project planning as well as water management planning for boosting drip, sprinkler and water efficient management system. The result was that the command area of the project had increased from 75,000 hectare to 2.46 lakh hectares. It will also provide drinking water to 3.7 lakh population in 1,107 villages and two towns along the canal. The problem of delay in completing four major structures on Narmada Main Canal was overcome by construction of a bypass arrangement for ensuring water to Rajasthan. The SSP has released 50 cusecs of water from main canal from February and the waters had physically reached Rajasthan in this mid March, an official release said.

UNI MCN PDT KN1821