The Gujarat government has approved a ₹1,331.30 crore lift irrigation project to bring 17,000 hectares of farmland under irrigation across 46 villages in the tribal talukas of Kaprada and Dharampur in Valsad district, where hilly terrain has long blocked access to conventional canal networks. Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel granted administrative approval to the Daman-Ganga Lift Irrigation Project, which will draw water from the Madhuban Reservoir and pump it across elevations as high as 382 metres above mean sea level.

Why These Villages Couldn't Be Served Before

The upland areas of Kaprada and Dharampur lie above the existing gravity-fed canal distribution system that serves the lower coastal plains of South Gujarat. Without canal access, tribal farmers in the region have depended almost entirely on groundwater, significantly limiting their ability to practise multiple cropping and expand agricultural output. The approval addresses a water-access gap that has persisted for decades despite a major reservoir sitting nearby.

How the Engineering Works

Following feasibility studies commissioned by the state's Narmada Water Resources, Water Supply and Kalpsar Department, Alternative-3 was selected as the optimal route. The infrastructure will include a main trunk pipeline of approximately 53 km and more than 188 km of branch and feeder lines.

Three pumping stations will power the system — the first at Fatehpura village near Madhuban Dam, followed by intermediate stations at Burvad and near Kistoniya. The combined pumping capacity will be 56,400 kW, equivalent to 75,600 horsepower. Break pressure tanks near Kaprada village will regulate pressure at higher elevations, allowing water to flow by gravity toward Dharampur via downstream branch networks.

Operational Design and Water Distribution

The project will have a total supply capacity of 500 cusecs and run on a 15-day rotational schedule across two zones during a planned annual operating window of 100 days. Zone 1 will cover 28 villages in Kaprada taluka at a peak demand of 320 cusecs, while Zone 2 will serve 17 villages across Kaprada and Dharampur with an allocation of 180 cusecs.

Rather than relying solely on direct field-level distribution, lifted water will be discharged into 26 village ponds and 81 check dams, supporting groundwater recharge. A dedicated discharge of 1.5 cusecs into the Kangvi River near Barumal village is also planned. Hydrological assessments indicate the Madhuban Reservoir can supply the required 122.33 million cubic metres of water annually without affecting existing domestic or regional allocations.

Smart Monitoring and Expected Impact

The project will incorporate a central Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) system to monitor water flows and manage pipeline pressure in real time. According to the government statement, the project is in its final stage before construction commences.

Once operational, the scheme is expected to support multiple cropping cycles, reduce dependence on groundwater, and improve agricultural livelihoods across the tribal farming communities of Valsad district — one of Gujarat's more historically underserved regions in terms of irrigation infrastructure.