Eastern Rajasthan Canal Project: The Eastern Rajasthan Canal Project (ERCP) aims to harvest the excess water present in the rivers especially in southern Rajasthan and use that water for drinking, irrigation purposes in south-eastern Rajasthan where there is scarcity.
Besides supplying drinking water in several Rajasthan districts where there is scarcity, the mega project will also provide irrigation water to an additional 2 lakh hectares of land.
The project will also supply water to the Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor and take care of the flood and drought situation in the area.
Under the Eastern Rajasthan Canal Project, water in rivers like Chambal and its tributaries such as Kunnu, Parvati, and Kalisindh and others will be harvested.
Why Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot wants national project status for ERCP?
Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot has been strongly demanding national project status for the Eastern Rajasthan Canal Project (ERCP).
The main advantage of a project which has received national project status is that 90 per cent of the funding for the project will be given by the Centre.
Since the estimated cost of the ERCP is around Rs. 40,000 crore, which is not possible to be borne by the state government, the chief minister has been wanting a national project status for it.
Which rivers and districts will be covered under Eastern Rajasthan Canal Project?
Rivers including Chambal, Kali Sindh and Parvati and 13 districts including Jhalawar, Baran, Kota, Bundi, Sawai Madhopur, Ajmer, Tonk, Jaipur, Karauli, Alwar, Bharatpur, Dausa, and Dholpur have been proposed to be part of this project.
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