A prestigious project pending for 40 years was inaugurated on Saturday by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Balrampur in Uttar Pradesh. The Saryu Nahar Project is worth $9,800 crore.

It is anticipated that lakhs of farmers in the eastern part of the state who have been experiencing water shortages and irrigation problems will benefit from the canal system. Work on the Saryu Nahar National Project began in 1978, but the project stalled due to a lack of continuity in the budgetary support, coordination between departments, and monitoring.

PM Modi brought the project under the Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana two years after he took office at the Centre with the aim of completing it within a timeline. After remaining incomplete for four decades, the project was then completed in only four years, according to the Prime Minister.

The Prime Minister arrived in Balrampur on Saturday at about 1 pm and joined a number of government officials and politicians, including Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath and Union Jal Shakti minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat.

Jal Shakti minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat welcomed the Prime Minister and said the 6,623-kilometre length of canal system will ensure irrigation for about 14 lakh acres in nine districts: Bahraich, Shravasti, Gonda, Balrampur, Siddharthnagar, Basti, Sant Kabir Nagar, Gorakhpur, and Maharajganj, he said. PM Modi's clearance of the project that was stuck for nearly four decades was lauded by UP chief minister Yogi Adityanath.

“This project was sanctioned the same year I was born,” the chief minister said. “Yet, this scheme got wings when Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived. He has cleared more than 100 such schemes across the country that were stuck in the pipeline.”

Saryu Nahar National Project commencing of various features:

• Under the project, five rivers have been linked together to ensure optimum use of water resources in the region: Ghaghara, Saryu, Rapti, Banganga, and Rohini.
• A total of 6,600 kilometers of sub canals have been incorporated into the 318 kilometers of main canal.
• Approximately 29 lakh farmers from more than 6,200 villages will benefit from the project, which will irrigate over 14 lakh hectares of land.
• Besides preventing recurrent flooding, the canal system is also expected to protect districts in eastern Uttar Pradesh.

Image source: Live mint