Gandhinagar/Bhavnagar, Match 12 (IANS) The Gujarat government has granted administrative approval of Rs 285 crore for the long-pending Methala bandhara project in Bhavnagar district, a scheme expected to provide irrigation to about 6,550 hectares of land across 10 villages while helping control salinity intrusion in the coastal region.

Water Resources Minister Ishwarsinh Patel said the approval had been given for the Methala Bandhara scheme in Talaja taluka and described the project as important for addressing salinity in the area.

“The long-pending Methala Bandhara scheme is very important for salinity control in this region,” he said.

Patel said the project would enable storage of an estimated 655 million cubic feet of rainwater, which would provide irrigation facilities to around 6,550 hectares of farmland across 10 villages.

He said the scheme would also help recharge groundwater and raise water levels in wells and borewells in the surrounding areas.

“The bandhara (check dam/barrier) will also help stop seawater from advancing further inland, which will prevent the increase in salinity in the region. This project will prove to be like a blessing for farmers in the area,” the minister said.

He added that the project is expected to be completed in about two years after the tendering process is finalised.

Forest and Environment Minister Arjun Modhwadia said the government had found a solution to the long-pending issue related to the project, which involved forest land.

“The Methala bandhara is planned on the Bagad river near Methala village in Talaja taluka of Bhavnagar district, where 598.2427 hectares of forest land would be submerged, and as part of the approval process an equivalent area of non-forest land at Monpur village in Vallabhipur taluka has been allocated to the Forest Department in exchange,” Modhwadia said.

He said the land provided to the Forest Department is located near Blackbuck National Park in Velavadar, which could make it useful as a habitat area for blackbuck and other wildlife species.

The minister added that the central government had granted in-principle approval for the project on March 15, 2024 as part of the required forest clearance process.

Modhwadia said the state government’s decision would benefit farmers and residents of the surrounding villages once the project becomes operational.

–IANS

mys/pgh