The Madhya Pradesh government has put its Bargi Diversion Project (BDP) in the Centre's court for a sanction of Rs 5,127 crore and has intensified its demand to put the project under national project category. BDP is a major trans-valley canal irrigation project of the state, which envisages construction of a 194-km long main canal from existing Rani Avanti Bai Lodhi Sager (Bargi Dam) in Jabalpur. Meanwhile, associate organisation of Narmda Bachao Andolan has raised some issues over the project.
“The Central Water Commission has recommended the project to be awarded national status,” a Narmada Valley Development Authority (NVDA) official said. "The state government has already invested more than Rs 1,200 crore on the project and is expecting funds to come from the Centre once it becomes a national project,” he said.
The Centre will provide 90 per cent of the fund for the project and the rest will be contributed by the state government.
So far MP has constructed 104 km of its canal and a large area of Jabalpur, Katni and Satna districts is being irrigated from the project. However, it envisaged to cover 245,000 hectares. Bargi Dam is to irrigate 55,832 hectares in Jabalpur district, (Narmada Basin) and 189,187 hectare in the districts of Katni, Satna and Rewa (Son & Tons Basin) area in Jabalpur, Katni, Satna and Rewa districts of the state, besides supply of domestic and industrial water of 78 million gallon per day to Jabalpur and Katni towns.
