Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Thursday, 13 August announced that the Government of Maharashtra will implement a series of ambitious river-linking projects aimed at making every region of the state drought-free through integrated water management. Speaking at the 21st anniversary event of the Maharashtra Water Resources Regulatory Authority (MWRRA) in Mumbai, Fadnavis said ground-level work on these projects will begin either late 2025 or early 2026, pending final clearance from the Central Water Commission (CWC).

The River-Linking Vision

At the heart of the plan is the diversion of surplus water from west-flowing rivers — which currently drain unused into the Arabian Sea — into the Godavari basin. This redirection, Fadnavis argued, would address chronic water deficits in North Maharashtra and Marathwada, two of the state's most drought-vulnerable regions. Several projects have already received administrative approval, while others remain at the Detailed Project Report (DPR) stage.

Among the flagship initiatives is the Wainganga-Nalganga river-link, which Fadnavis described as critical to eliminating drought conditions across the Vidarbha region. He asserted that Maharashtra is the first state in India to undertake water management work at this scale.

Maharashtra's Integrated Water Plan

Fadnavis recalled that Maharashtra was also the first state in the country to establish a Water Resources Regulatory Authority. In October 2018, the state consolidated individual plans for six major river basins — Godavari, Krishna, Tapi, Narmada, west-flowing rivers, and Mahanadi — into a single Integrated Water Plan. That plan was updated in 2024 to formally incorporate the major river-linking projects now being pursued.

Water Resources Minister Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil noted that while MWRRA was established in 2005, significant operational momentum built only after 2015, when drafting of the Integrated Water Plan began with the Godavari river basin — which accounts for nearly 50 per cent of the state's rivers and tributaries. Minister Girish Mahajan added that the 2018 water plan was designed to ensure water resources reach the last farmer in the state.

Efficiency Measures and Future Planning

Fadnavis stressed the importance of maximising the state's 40 lakh hectares of irrigation potential through optimal crop patterns and water-use efficiency. He recalled that in 2017, open-canal systems were replaced with Pipe Distribution Networks (PDN), a transition that saved enough water to supply severely drought-prone areas such as Man-Khatav.

Looking further ahead, the Chief Minister called for a 30-to-40-year Integrated Water Plan tailored specifically for the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) and the Pune Metropolitan Region (PMR), covering drinking, agricultural, and industrial water needs. He also proposed tertiary treatment of municipal wastewater to supply data centres through private investment partnerships, and the use of modern technology to enable year-round agricultural water supply in arid zones.

MoU Signed at MWRRA Event

A notable development at the event was the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited and the MWRRA. The agreement was signed by Captain Vasudev Puranik, Director of Mazagon Dock, and Shwetali Thackeray, Chairperson of MWRRA. The MoU focuses on evaluating the impact of water tariffs, assessing current project status, and implementing remedial measures, according to an official government release.

With CWC approval expected to unlock construction timelines, Maharashtra's river-linking ambition is moving from policy blueprint to physical infrastructure — a test of both administrative coordination and long-term political will.