Mumbai: In a significant move to enhance drinking water supply and irrigation infrastructure, the Maharashtra state cabinet, led by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, has approved funding of Rs 18,842 crore for four major dam projects. The decision was made during a high-level cabinet meeting attended by Deputy Chief Ministers Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar, along with other senior officials, on Tuesday.
Two of these projects will be developed in Karjat, Raigad district, aimed at supplying drinking water to the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR), covering areas such as Navi Mumbai, Panvel, Ulhasnagar, Ambernath, and Badlapur.
The first dam will be constructed on the Poshir River with a total capacity of 12.344 TMC (thousand million cubic feet) and a budget of Rs 6,394.13 crore. This dam will provide a live storage of 9.721 TMC, of which 7.933 TMC is allocated for drinking water and 1.859 TMC for industrial purposes. The second project involves building a 6.61 TMC capacity dam on the Shilar River. This dam will cater to the drinking water needs of Panvel and Navi Mumbai municipal corporations.
Beyond Mumbai, the cabinet also cleared the revised administrative approval for two major irrigation projects. In Dhule district, Rs 5,329.46 crore has been allocated for the Sulwade-Jamphal-Kanoli Lift Irrigation Scheme. This project will irrigate 36,407 hectares in Shindkheda and Dhule tehsils; according to a Hindustan Times report as of March, Rs 2,407.67 crore has already been spent.
Additionally, Rs 2,250 crore was approved for the Aruna irrigation scheme in Sindhudurg district, which will benefit 5,310 hectares of land across Vaibhav Wadi tehsil in Sindhudurg and Rajapur tehsil in Ratnagiri. These projects mark a significant boost in Maharashtra’s efforts to strengthen its water infrastructure for both urban and agricultural use.
