Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma recently said that the Eastern Rajasthan Canal Project (ERCP) is very big and both Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh are working together to complete it.

About Eastern Rajasthan Canal Project (ERCP)

• The Eastern Rajasthan Canal Project (ERCP), an ambitious drinking and irrigation water project, was announced by the state government in the state budget 2017-18. 
• The project will use surplus water from rivers in southern Rajasthan during the rainy season. 
  • The water will be used to address the water scarcity in the southeastern districts of Rajasthan. 
• It envisages intra-basin transfer of water within the Chambal Basin by utilising surplus monsoon water available in Kalisindh, Parvati, Mej and Chakan sub-basins and diverting it into water deficit sub-basins of Banas, Gambhiri, Banganga and Parbati.
• The project will increase irrigation facilities and provide drinking water to the following districts:
  • Jhalawar, Baran, Kota Bundi, Sawai Madhopur, Ajmer, Tok, Jaipur, Dausa, Karauli, Alwar, Bharatpur and Dholpur.
• Project was approved by the Central Water Commission in 2017 
• Jal Shakti Ministry of the central government is coordinating to solve the “inter-state issues” related to water sharing between Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh.
  • Disputes between the two States on interlinking of Rivers had been resolved.

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About Chambal River

• The Chambal River originates from the Singar Chouri peak in the northern slopes of the Vindhya Mountains near Indore, Madhya Pradesh.
• It flows northward through Madhya Pradesh for about 346 km and then takes a north-easterly direction, covering 225 km through Rajasthan.
• The river enters Uttar Pradesh, flowing about 32 km before merging with the Yamuna River in the Etawah District.
• Basin and Drainage:
  • The Chambal is a rainfed river, with its basin bounded by the Vindhya Ranges to the south and the Aravalli Ranges to the northwest.
  • The river and its tributaries drain the Malwa region of northwestern Madhya Pradesh.
  • In Rajasthan, it passes through the Hadauti Plateau, situated to the southeast of the Mewar Plains.
• Major Tributaries: Banas, Kali Sindh, Sipra, Parbati.
• Important power projects and dams on the Chambal River include: Gandhi Sagar Dam, Rana Pratap Sagar Dam, Jawahar Sagar Dam, Kota Barrage
• It is one of the most pollution-free rivers in India.
• National Chambal Sanctuary:
  • The National Chambal Sanctuary is situated along the Chambal River at the tri-junction of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, and Uttar Pradesh.
  • It is a haven for critically endangered species such as the gharial, the red-crowned roof turtle, and the Ganges river dolphin.

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