Mumbai, Aug 25 : In the run-up to the Assembly election, the Maharashtra Cabinet chaired by Eknath Shinde on Sunday approved the ambitious Rs 7,015 crore Nar Par Girnar river linking project.





Sunday's Cabinet nod came after the state Governor C.P. Radhakrishnan on August 10 had given his consent for the project.



Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis earlier at the Lakhpati Didi Sammelan in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi had said that the state Cabinet will clear the Nar Par Girnar river linking project.



The project includes the construction of nine new dams. It will channel surplus water from west-flowing rivers to districts in North Maharashtra. The project will help irrigate 53,626 hectares in Nashik, 38,304 hectares in Jalgaon, and 3,830 hectares in the Aurangabad areas of the Girna sub-basin.



A total of 305 metres of water will be pumped and brought to the Chankapur Dam in the Tapi basin.



The scheme was approved by the state-level technical advisory committee (SLTAC) on March 15, 2023.



Fadnavis said that the project will channel 10.64 thousand million cubic feet (TMC) of water from the Nar Par Girna river basin, benefiting Nashik and Jalgaon districts in North Maharashtra.



This is the second mega project which received clearance from the Governor. On July 10, the Governor gave a nod for the Wainganga Nalganga project worth Rs 87,342 crore. Under this project, Nagpur, Wardha, Amravati, Yavatmal, Akola and Buldhana districts in Vidarbha would benefit, irrigating 3.71 lakh hectares of land.



Meanwhile, the state Cabinet also gave its approval for the speedy completion of long pending 228 slum rehabilitation projects by roping in various government undertakings and agencies including the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority, City and Industrial Development Corporation, Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation, Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority, Maha Housing, Shivshahi Rehabilitation Project and Mahatma Phule Renewable Energy and Infrastructure Limited.



These agencies will complete those 228 projects on a joint partnership basis. It is proposed to construct 2,18,931 flats after the completion of these slum rehabilitation projects.

/IANS