Mumbai: The state cabinet on Tuesday approved the revised cost of the Deharji medium irrigation project in Palghar, amounting to Rs 2,599 crore. This additional cost will be borne by the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA). The project is being implemented as a water supply project. A memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed between MMRDA and the Konkan Irrigation Development Corporation regarding this dam project in 2022.
This project, with a capacity of 95.60 MLD on the Deharji River, will be a combined dam project in soil and sand. It will reserve 69.42 MLD of water for drinking purposes for the Vasai-Virar municipal corporation area. Apart from this, water will also be available to other areas of MMRDA, solving the drinking water problem for about 40 lakh people. The first revised administrative approval of Rs 1,443 crore was given for this project in 2019. MMRDA will be responsible for this additional cost and completing the project in the next three years.
The cabinet also approved the work of converting the canals of the Janai, Shirsai Upsa irrigation scheme for irrigation in Daund, Baramati, and Purandar talukas of Pune district into a closed pipe distribution system at the cost of Rs 438 crore.