Maharashtra Deputy CM Eknath Shinde. File.
| Photo Credit: Emmanual Yogini
Maharashtra government on Wednesday (May 27, 2026) reviewed the progress of 51,000 schemes under the Jal Jeevan Mission, as Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde stated that centre is prioritising “the river linking project”
He called the “the river linking project” a boon for Maharashtra, especially Marathwada and other drought-affected areas as it aims to help increase the irrigation area and create drought-free Maharashtra. The river-linking project is experimental water-diversion project, comprising diversion of water from the river basins of the western part of the State to the Godavari basin in Marathwada through the river interconnection projects.
Earlier, in 2024, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis announced the ₹88,000 crore Venganga- Penganga river-linking project with aim to irrigate 10 lakh acres of farmland.
“The review of all the schemes in the State was conducted. Many schemes are on the verge of completion and some schemes require technical changes. There was also a detailed discussion on how to address the problems arising due to drying up of water sources in some areas,” said Mr. Shinde.
On Wednesday (May 27, 2026), a meeting was held under the chairmanship of Union Minister for Jal Shakti C. R. Patil at Antyodaya Bhavan, CGO Complex, New Delhi in connection with the Jal Jeevan Mission and water scarcity. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, MP Sunetra Pawar and Ministers from the State were present in this meeting. The review meeting has been held as monsoon is nearing, however, IMD has forecasted low rainfall due to El Niño effect.
Mr. Shinde highlighted several alternatives were discussed to eliminate the loopholes in the schemes and ensure their effective implementation, saying instructions have been given to the concerned departments to expedite the work by making necessary improvements.
During the meeting, the expansion of the ‘Jaltara’ initiative being implemented for water conservation was discussed. A memorandum of understanding has been signed with Sri Sri Ravi Shankar’s organisation for this initiative and its work is underway under the guidance of Dr. Purushottam, Shinde informed.
Currently, about 65,000 water tower structures have been constructed in the State. However, Mr. Shinde clarified that the scope of this initiative needs to be further expanded to increase the groundwater level and allow more water to soak into the ground. “This will increase the groundwater storage and provide great benefits to farmers,” he added
Published – May 28, 2026 01:13 am IST
