Rajasthan has brought up the issue of the Eastern Rajasthan Canal Project or ERCP before the Prime Minister.
Why in news?
- The Chief Minister has said that it is not possible for the state government to bear the estimated project cost of around Rs 40,000 crore by itself.
- The state wants the Centre to declare this as a national project so that the cost-sharing ratio between the Centre and the state becomes 90:10.
Eastern Rajasthan Canal Project (ERCP)
- ERCP was incepted with the aim of providing water to the drought-prone areas of the state.
- It aims to harvest surplus water available during the rainy season in rivers in southern Rajasthan, such as the Chambal and its tributaries Kunnu, Parvati, and Kalisindh.
- The project consists of the construction of two canals:
- Chambal Canal (which originates from the Chambal River)
- East Rajasthan Canal (which originates from the Mahi River)
- The ERCP is expected to irrigate about 3.4 million hectares of agricultural land in Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh states.
- It is estimated to cost about Rs 51,000 crore and was expected to be completed by 2021.
- The project was expected to benefit about 2.6 million farmers in Rajasthan and an additional 2.4 million in Madhya Pradesh.
When was the ERCP conceived?
- In the state Budget for 2017-18, then Rajasthan government had said that the ERCP will help fulfil the long-term irrigation and drinking water needs of 13 districts: Jhalawar, Baran, Kota, Bundi, Sawai Madhopur, Ajmer, Tonk, Jaipur, Karauli, Alwar, Bharatpur, Dausa, and Dholpur.
- The project was approved by the Central Water Commission in 2017.
- The state government had sent a proposal to the central government to declare ERCP as a project having national importance.
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