Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis chaired a high-level review meeting of the Water Resources Department at Varsha residence, Mumbai, on Friday, 17 July 2026, assessing the progress of centrally assisted irrigation schemes and the Viksit Maharashtra 2047 (Developed Maharashtra 2047) initiative. The meeting focused on planned implementation of water resource projects to make Maharashtra water-prosperous.

Context

The review covered several major river-linking proposals, including the Narphar-Girna river link, Damanganga-Ekdare-Godavari, Damanganga-Vaitarna-Godavari, Konkan Ulhas-Vaitarna, and Godavari basin river-linking projects. CM Fadnavis directed the Water Resources Department to ensure all irrigation projects are completed on time and implemented with full transparency. He emphasised that the government is making large-scale allocations for irrigation projects across the state.

The most significant project reviewed was the Vainaganga-Nalganga river-linking project, which proposes diverting 63.74 TMC of water from the Vainaganga sub-basin in the Godavari basin to the Nalganga sub-basin in Buldhana district. The project has an irrigation capacity of 6,11,150 hectares, spread across 8 districts — Bhandara, Nagpur, Wardha, Amravati, Yavatmal, Akola, Buldhana, and Washim.

Policy Backdrop

Under the Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY), launched by the central government in 2015 to consolidate and accelerate irrigation development nationwide, 20 projects in Maharashtra have been completed and 7 projects are currently in progress. The scheme covers 29 major and medium irrigation projects with a total cost of Rs 24,721 crore, of which Rs 4,288 crore (17%) comes as central assistance.

As of now, 4.30 lakh hectares, representing 74% of the targeted irrigation capacity, has been created under PMKSY by March 2026. The ultimate target under the scheme is to create an irrigation capacity of 5.79 lakh hectares. The Baliraja Jalsanjivani Yojana, launched under a special central package to address agricultural distress in Vidarbha and Marathwada, includes 8 major and medium irrigation projects and 83 surface minor irrigation projects.

Maharashtra's river-linking focus aligns with India's National Perspective Plan for inter-basin water transfer, which has been in development since the 1980s and received renewed momentum through central task forces in the 2000s. The state's approach integrates central PMKSY funding with its own schemes to raise irrigation coverage in chronically water-stressed eastern and central regions.

Stakeholders and Impact

The projects reviewed have direct implications for farmers in Vidarbha and Marathwada, two regions historically vulnerable to drought and agrarian distress. The Vainaganga-Nalganga link alone, once complete, would bring irrigation benefits to farmers across 8 eastern and central Maharashtra districts.

Ministers Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil and Girish Mahajan, along with senior officials, were present at the review. The meeting also included a briefing on actions being taken by the Water Resources Department under the Viksit Maharashtra framework, which charts the state's development roadmap to 2047.

What's Next

The government's immediate focus is completing the 7 remaining PMKSY projects and achieving the 5.79 lakh hectare ultimate irrigation target. Progress on formal sanctioning and tendering of the listed river-linking schemes will be closely watched, given their scale and multi-district impact.

With CM Fadnavis directing transparent and time-bound implementation, the pace at which these projects advance will serve as a key indicator of Maharashtra's ability to translate its water infrastructure ambitions into measurable agricultural relief for its most drought-prone communities.