Water security boost: MP, Maha ink landmark ‘Tapti Basin Mega Recharge Project’ pact

New Delhi: In a major step toward sustainable water management, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra signed an MoU in Bhopal on Saturday to implement the decades-long-pending Tapti Basin Mega Recharge Project. The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was formalised in the presence of Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav and his Maharashtra counterpart Devendra Fadnavis. The project, the world’s first river basin recharge initiative, is expected to be a game-changer for transforming water security and boosting agricultural sustainability across central India. Addressing a joint press conference with Fadnavis, Yadav expressed optimism about the collaboration for the project, stating, “Today, a new chapter will begin with Maharashtra. I would like to thank the Maharashtra CM. “The initiative is a historic breakthrough, and will establish a new chapter in global groundwater recharge and serve as a lifeline for the Nimar region of Madhya Pradesh and parts of Maharashtra”, CM Yadav said. The project will facilitate irrigation across 1.23 lakh hectares in Madhya Pradesh and 2.37 lakh hectares in Maharashtra, Yadav added. “Prime Minister Narendra Modi has adopted a new approach for the water security schemes under which states have been connecting through river projects, and 90 per cent of the amount for the projects will be borne by the Centre. “I thank PM Modi for advancing national water security by fostering inter-state cooperation,” said CM Yadav. Long stalled by interstate disputes, the project gained momentum after the Madhya Pradesh–Maharashtra Coordination Board was revived after 25 years and will now be jointly proposed to the Centre as a national interstate irrigation initiative.

Maharashtra CM Fadnavis praised the collaborative effort, calling it a “marvel in itself” and a testament to improved inter-governmental cooperation under PM Modi’s leadership. “This project will benefit millions of farmers and lay the foundation for future joint ventures between both states,” said Fadnavis. The project replaces an earlier 66 TMC reservoir plan that threatened 17,000 hectares and 73 villages, opting instead for a groundwater recharge model to reduce displacement and environmental impact. The recharge plan focuses on the high-capacity aquifer zone, or “Bajada Zone,” near the Madhya Pradesh–Maharashtra border, which holds tremendous potential for water retention and recharge. A key component of the scheme is the construction of the Khariya Gutighat Weir, which will store 8.31 TMC of water and serve as the origin for extensive canal networks on both riverbanks.