New Delhi, July 7: Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis announced on Tuesday that a 20-year-old dispute regarding water allocation has finally been resolved, as Maharashtra is set to receive 10 TMC (thousand million cubic feet) of water from the Narmada River.
A positive decision was also made regarding the direct allocation of 5 TMC of water from the Ukai Dam. This decision was reached during a meeting attended by Chief Ministers of Maharashtra, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, and Rajasthan, in the presence of Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
While addressing the media about the key outcomes of the meeting, Fadnavis explained that Maharashtra had only received electricity from the Narmada project, but its rightful share of 10 TMC of water had not been allocated until now. The long-standing grievance has been successfully addressed in today’s meeting.
Additionally, positive decisions were made regarding outstanding funds and other unresolved issues. Maharashtra now has an outstanding amount of only ₹27 crore, with previous demands for additional funds waived.
Despite the completion of rehabilitation work, Maharashtra had not received a drop of water since the project began. Fadnavis stated that Maharashtra had requested 5 TMC of water through the Narmada-Tapi Diversion Scheme and the remaining 5 TMC from the Ukai project. The meeting concluded with an encouraging decision, as Gujarat agreed that Maharashtra could take this water during the monsoon season when the Ukai Dam is full.
He expressed gratitude to Amit Shah, Union Minister of Jal Shakti C.R. Patil, and the Chief Minister of Gujarat. The Chief Minister mentioned that the Maharashtra government is currently preparing a systematic plan to bring water from the Ukai Dam, which will greatly benefit the districts in northern Maharashtra.
Furthermore, Fadnavis provided information about a review meeting on Maharashtra’s renewable energy sector, chaired by Union Minister for New and Renewable Energy, Pralhad Joshi.
The Chief Minister thanked the Union Minister for allocating 51 percent of the total Kusum (Kisan Urja Suraksha evam Utthaan Mahabhiyan) scheme funds to Maharashtra, the highest allocation for any state in India. Maharashtra has requested continuous and improved cooperation under the revised Kusum scheme.
In response, the Union Minister urged Maharashtra to set and achieve even larger targets under the ‘PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana.’ The state government assured that necessary reforms will be made to effectively implement these schemes.
The Chief Minister expressed confidence that the central government will continue to provide essential funding and technical support to Maharashtra in the future.
Bhupendra Singh Chundawat is a seasoned technology journalist with over 22 years of experience in the media industry. He specializes in covering the global technology landscape, with a deep focus on manufacturing trends and the geopolitical impact on tech companies. Currently serving as the Editor at Udaipur Kiran, his insights are shaped by decades of hands-on reporting and editorial leadership in the fast-evolving world of technology.