MP’s lift irrigation projects: success or leaky promises?

On March 20, Chief Minister Dr. Mohan Yadav inaugurated the Narmada-Kshipra Multipurpose Micro Lift Irrigation Project in Tarana, Ujjain. The project aims to supply Narmada water from the Nimar region to the drought-prone Malwa region of Madhya Pradesh. With a cost of ₹ 2,489.65 crore, it is expected to irrigate 30,218 hectares of land and benefit farmers in 162 villages across Ujjain and Shajapur districts.

“Narmada water has now reached Tarana through the Narmada-Kshipra Multipurpose Micro Lift Irrigation Project. When water touches dry, barren fields, crops as precious as gold will flourish,” said the Chief Minister. He added, 

“I am committed to ensuring that water reaches every field, using resources from any river available in the state.”

In lift irrigation technology, water is transported from one place to another with the help of an additional energy source instead of natural gravity. To understand it in simpler language, water from the reservoir will be transported from one place to another through pipes with the help of an electric pump. 

If we talk about the Narmada-Kshipra Lift Irrigation Project, then in this project, water is to be transported through underground pipes canals.

The state government is aggressively pushing large-scale lift irrigation and river-linking projects, claiming they will transform drought-prone regions like Malwa. Inaugurations have become frequent, especially around election cycles, with hefty investments and high hopes. 

However, experts and locals question the effectiveness, sustainability, and political motivations behind these schemes. While some farmers await relief, others report project failures, rising costs, and environmental impacts, raising concerns about whether such mega projects truly serve the rural population or fueling electoral narratives.

Water share of MP: Allocation and distribution

Rehmat, an activist with the Narmada Bachao Andolan and founding member of Manthan Adhyayan Kendra — an organization that studies environmental policies — believes there’s more to these schemes than meets the eye. He points out that the Detailed Project Reports (DPRs) for such projects often begin by citing that Madhya Pradesh has been allocated 18.25 million acre-feet (MAF) of Narmada water by the Narmada Water Disputes Tribunal.

In 2020, then Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan stated that Madhya Pradesh was currently using 13.04 million acre-feet (MAF) of its allocated Narmada water and that several irrigation projects were being planned to utilize the remaining share. According to the gazette published by the Narmada Water Disputes Tribunal on December 12, 1979, the water-sharing arrangement between states is to be reconsidered within 45 years from that date.

Rehmat argues that the government is creating unnecessary fear by suggesting that if the state does not fully utilize its allotted share within this period, it may lose its rights to the water. He clarifies that while the tribunal’s order allows for a review, it does not make it mandatory. According to him, the state is using this perceived urgency to fast-track various large and small irrigation projects—many of which, he says, are not financially viable for farmers.

River Link Project: More Politics, Less Water

In fact, all the projects being discussed under the label of lift irrigation are part of the state's larger river-linking initiative. The lift irrigation scheme recently inaugurated by Chief Minister Mohan Yadav is one such effort aimed at bringing Narmada water to the Malwa region. In his statement, he also referred to Malwa’s ongoing water crisis, highlighting the urgent need for such interventions.

The first successful effort to bring water to the water-stressed region was completed in 2014. During this time, former Deputy Prime Minister Lal Krishna Advani inaugurated the first phase of the Narmada-Kshipra Link Project. This was the time when general elections were about to be held in the country. While campaigning for the BJP, Advani had said:

"The Supreme Court has recommended that the central government should work on the river linking scheme. The next government will work on it. Shivraj has also started work on it by linking Narmada and Kshipra." 

According to Rehmat, river-linking projects are increasingly being used as political tools during election seasons, with governments making grand promises to farmers in an effort to secure votes. His concerns are underscored by a 2023 example.

Then Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan inaugurated the Nagalwadi and Pati micro-lift irrigation projects in Barwani district. The Nagalwadi project, with an estimated cost of ₹1,173.03 crore, aimed to irrigate 38,412 hectares of land. Similarly, the Pati project, costing ₹128.85 crore, was intended to cover 5,500 hectares.

However, both projects were inaugurated before completion, reportedly to gain political mileage ahead of the state assembly elections. During testing, local newspapers reported pipe bursts in the lift irrigation systems. Despite these technical issues, the projects were officially inaugurated, raising questions about their readiness and the motives behind the timing.

Are farmers really benefiting?

According to local residents, the Nagalwadi Lift Irrigation project is causing more harm than good. Farmers in the district have raised several complaints, claiming that pipeline bursts have led to flooding in their fields. Despite repeated concerns, they say their grievances have gone unheard.

In January this year, the current CM did the Bhoomi Pujan (innagural Hindu ceremony) of two more lift irrigation schemes in the Barwani area. The cost of Sendhwa Micro Lift Irrigation Scheme will be Rs. 1402.74 crores and the cost of Niwali Micro Lift Irrigation Scheme will be Rs. 1088.24 crores. 

According to the government press release, with this scheme, farmers will be able to irrigate without leveling the land by using sprinkler and drip irrigation along with pressurized water supply.

Talking about the maintenance cost of these projects, Rahmat says that this cost is so high that it is neither possible for the farmers to pay it nor the government will be able to continue it for a long time without payment.

“The cost of irrigation of one hectare through these projects is between Rs 36,434 and Rs 57,000. If the operation and maintenance cost of the projects is to be recovered only through irrigation rates, then the current irrigation rates will have to be increased by 70 to 100 times, which is not practical.”

Rajendra Joshi, a journalist from the Nimar region, also expresses skepticism about these projects. He points out that water is being diverted to areas of Barwani district that are already situated along the banks of the Narmada River. Highlighting the environmental impact, he notes: “These projects add to the stress on rivers, leading to a continuous decline in their water levels.”

Joshi says that with the cost of one such government scheme, the water structures of the entire district, like river ponds, could have been improved, but the government did not pay any attention to them.

“Now farmers do not use measures like bori bandhan, check dams to stop the water of rivers like before, because water is being easily made available to them through other means. But the result of this is that all the water of the river flows away, and groundwater is not recharged.”

It is worth noting that the Madhya Pradesh government is currently running the Jal Ganga Samvardhan Abhiyan from March 30 to June 30, aimed at repairing and rejuvenating water reservoirs. As part of this campaign, the Chief Minister has been inaugurating various small and large water structures on a daily basis. However, journalist Rajendra Joshi believes the initiative is largely symbolic and lacks real impact on the ground.

Meanwhile, the state government continues to approve new lift irrigation projects. Experts argue that instead of investing heavily in such large-scale schemes, focusing on strengthening local water infrastructure could yield more sustainable and cost-effective results. It’s also worth mentioning that the government is running the Balram Talab Yojana to support agricultural water supply at the local level.

In such a situation, it would be better if the government tries to solve the problem of irrigation water at the village level. This will not only provide water to the crop but will also recharge groundwater. Apart from this, since this work will be done under MNREGA, people will also get employment at the local level. Schemes like lift irrigation may seem populist, but the truth so far is that these plans are not successful on the ground. 

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