Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav on Saturday, 24 October 2025, inaugurated a ₹2,387.60-crore micro-lift irrigation project in Dhar district that will bring 57,422 hectares of farmland across 260 villages in Dhar and Jhabua districts under irrigation, directly benefiting around 72,000 farmers. The Narmada-Jhabua-Petlawad-Thandla-Sardarpur project is designed to lift water from the Narmada River through an underground pipeline network, improving both irrigation access and agricultural productivity across the two districts.

How the Project Works

Water will be lifted from the Narmada at Chandan Khedi village in Kukshi tehsil and released into the Mahi River. The scheme covers 25,422 hectares across 66 villages in Dhar district and 32,000 hectares across 194 villages in Jhabua district. The pipeline network will supply pressurised water directly to agricultural plots, enabling farmers to adopt sprinkler and drip irrigation methods. Officials said the system is expected to reduce water consumption significantly and eliminate the need for field levelling — a common burden for smallholders in the region.

Scale and Infrastructure

The project envisages lifting 186.62 million cubic metres of water annually and will require 102.30 megawatts of electricity to operate. This makes it one of the larger micro-lift schemes to go live in central India in recent years. The underground pipeline design is notable because it reduces evaporation losses compared with open canal systems, which have historically limited efficiency across the Nimar-Malwa belt.

What the Chief Minister Said

Speaking at the inauguration, Chief Minister Yadav outlined the state's broader irrigation ambitions. He said the Madhya Pradesh government had set a target of bringing 100 lakh hectares of agricultural land under irrigation. 'By 2002-03, only 7.5 lakh hectares of land in the state was irrigated. The area increased to 40 lakh hectares by 2023 and has now reached 60 lakh hectares in the past two-and-a-half years. We have set a target of bringing 100 lakh hectares under irrigation,' he said. He added: 'Farmers' prosperity is our objective. When water reaches dry fields, their crops begin to shine like gold.'

Crop Insurance Payouts and Other Announcements

On the occasion, Yadav transferred ₹317.86 crore in crop insurance claims for the 2025-26 rabi season directly to the bank accounts of 16.70 lakh farmers ahead of Diwali. He also highlighted the employment potential of the PM MITRA textile park in Dhar, saying it would benefit around six lakh cotton-growing farmers in the Nimar-Malwa region and create employment opportunities for three lakh people. Additionally, Yadav inaugurated development works worth ₹188 crore and laid the foundation stones for 35 projects, including school and ITI buildings and development work at the Amka-Jhamka Mata temple.

What Comes Next

The Chief Minister said villages not currently covered under the irrigation project would be included in future phases. He also announced that Dhar would soon receive a medical college, signalling continued state investment in the district's infrastructure. With irrigation coverage now at 60 lakh hectares and a 100-lakh-hectare target on the horizon, the pace of project commissioning over the next two years will be closely watched by farming communities across central Madhya Pradesh.