JAIPUR: Prospects for an agreement between the Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan governments over the East Rajasthan Canal Project (ERCP), a canal project crucial for serving the water needs of 13 districts of east Rajasthan have brightened.
MP Chief Minister Dr Mohan Yadav visited Jaipur on Sunday, engaging in a significant discussion with his Rajasthan counterpart Bhajan Lal Sharma at his residence.
The primary focus of their talks centered around the ERCP and the escalating water crisis in Rajasthan. The two CMs said after their meeting that a detailed agreement between the two states over the ERCP will be implemented quickly and will be soon be announced.
The ERCP canal ran into controversy during the Congress rule because while the Gehlot government was ruling in Rajasthan, the MP govt had raised all kinds of objections to prevent the ERCP from becoming a functional reality.
With BJP having promised in their election manifesto and elections having led to BJP governments in both states, the possibility of this canal turning into a reality ahead of Lok Sabha elections is very much being talked about.
There is a major ray of hope for the ERCP, a crucial initiative to provide drinking and irrigation water to 13 districts in Rajasthan. In a joint presser following their meeting, Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma reflected on Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s plan. It envisioned the interlinking of rivers, including those in MP and Rajasthan, and blamed Congress for the delay.
“Despite the Modi government’s initiation in 2014, Congress-led governments in MP and Rajasthan impeded the project’s advancement,” CM Sharma lamented.
He shed light on the potential positive outcomes of water-sharing agreements between the two states. “The decision on sharing river water will not only quench the thirst of the people and irrigate our lands but will also pave the way for the development of new industrial areas,” he emphasized.
Anticipating positive resolutions from ongoing discussions between state officials, he mentioned plans for the construction of seven dams in Madhya Pradesh under the ERCP.
Addressing the media after his meeting with Dr. Mohan Yadav, CM Bhajan Lal Sharma accused Congress of playing politics with the ERCP. “Congress only did politics on ERCP,” he said. He expressed optimism about resolving the issues soon, ensuring welfare for the people.