Jalgaon: The Shelgaon Barrage Medium Project, a vital agricultural irrigation initiative for the Jalgaon district has received its third revised administrative approval amounting to a substantial Rs. 1,407.20 crore. This approval was secured through the initiative and persistent follow-up efforts of the state's minister for water resources and disaster management, Girish Mahajan. This decision by the Water Resources Department will facilitate the completion of this significant project, bringing approximately 9,128 hectares of land under irrigation.
Situated on the Tapi River, this project is set to serve as a lifeline for the Yawal Taluka. The project originally received administrative approval in 1997-98 with an estimated cost of Rs. 198 crore. Subsequently, the first revision was approved in 2011-12 at a cost of Rs. 699.48 crore, followed by a second revision in 2017-18 at Rs. 968.97 crore. Now, with the third revision approved in 2023-24, the total project cost has reached Rs. 1,407.20 crore. Upon completion, the project will bring a total of 1,228 hectares of land across 11 villages under irrigation. This will ensure year-round water availability for farmers, thereby significantly boosting agricultural productivity.
The project boasts a benefit-cost (B/C) ratio of 1.91 and an internal rate of return (IRR) of 10.72 per cent, rendering it an economically viable and sound project. The barrage has a total storage capacity of 4.11 TMC and will feature 18 gates, each measuring 18.30 x 16.76 metres. The entire land requirement of 1,961.47 hectares necessary for the project has already been fully acquired. The main construction of the barrage has been completed, and work on two of the four bridges located within the submergence zone has also been finished.
. Work on the remaining two bridges is scheduled to be completed shortly. Currently, the barrage holds a maximum water storage of 2.89 TMC (70 per cent). This project is set to provide significant relief to farmers in the region and will aid in overcoming drought-like conditions. Under the leadership of Girish Mahajan, this pivotal decision taken by the Water Resources Department has accelerated irrigation development works across the district. As this decision ensures the completion of the project, farmers from Yawal Taluka have expressed their gratitude to Minister Girish Mahajan as well as to the government.
