Water: The next frontier

Highways and power have seen a peaking of investments for over two decades. The next sector should be water

The water resources ministry recently moved a proposal for cabinet approval of the Rs 400 billion Eastern Rajasthan Canal Project (ERCP). To be completed in seven years, the project’s core aim is to move surplus water from rivers in South Rajasthan (such as the Chambal), through a system of canals to areas in South Eastern Rajasthan which face large water deficits. The aim is to irrigate nearly 10,00,000 acres of land.

The ERCP project could well mark a point of inflexion for the infrastructure sector. Investments in traditional infrastructure sectors like highways and power are likely to peak by 2025. If