Raipur, June 07, 2025/
Chief Minister Shri Vishnu Deo Sai has discussed in detail with Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi regarding the construction of the multipurpose Bodhghat dam project and the Indravati-Mahanadi Interlinking project as national projects.
He said that the Bastar division has been affected by Naxalism for a long time, due to which the division has lagged behind in the development of irrigation resources. To overcome the problem of irrigation resources in the division and to promote all-round development, the Chhattisgarh government is working on the multipurpose Bodhghat dam project and the Indravati-Mahanadi link project.
The Chief Minister has said that the Bodhghat Multipurpose Dam Project will prove to be a decisive project for the all-round development of the Bastar region. This project has been proposed on the Indravati River for a long time. Indravati is a major tributary of the Godavari River. The 1980 award of the Godavari Water Disputes Tribunal also mentions this project along with other schemes. The implementation of other projects mentioned in this award has been done by other states, but this project could not be started due to being in a remote area and the Naxal problem.
*The pace of development of Bastar will double*
With the multipurpose Bodhghat dam project, the scope of irrigation resources in the division will increase, along with which the development of Bastar will get double speed. This project will ensure the availability of 125 MW of electricity production, additional employment like 4824 tonnes of annual fish production, irrigation expansion in 3,78,475 hectares including Kharif and Rabi and 49 million cubic meters of drinking water. At the same time, the Indravati-Mahanadi Interlinking project will be able to provide irrigation facilities in more than 3,00,000 hectares of land, including irrigation in 50,000 hectares of land in Kanker district. Both the projects will be an important step towards making Bastar developed and self-reliant.
*What is the Multipurpose Bodhghat Dam Project?*
The Multipurpose Bodhghat Dam Project is proposed on the Indravati River, a major tributary of the Godavari River. The Indravati River flows for a total of 264 km in the state. This project is proposed at a distance of about 8 km from village Barsur of Geedam block and tehsil of Dantewada district and about 100 km from Jagdalpur city.
*Features of the project*
The estimated cost of both the projects is Rs 49000 crore. In which the cost of Indravati-Mahanadi link project is about Rs 20 thousand crore and the cost of multipurpose Bodhghat dam project is likely to be about Rs 29 thousand crore. Which includes hydropower electromechanical work, civil work (irrigation). In this project, the useful water storage capacity is 2009 MCM, the total water storage capacity is 2727 MCM, the surface area at full water storage level is 10440 hectares is possible.
*These districts will be benefited*
269 villages of Dantewada, Bijapur, Sukma districts will benefit greatly from the multipurpose Bodhghat dam project. While the Indravati-Mahanadi Interlinking project will be able to expand irrigation facilities in many villages of Kanker district. Both the projects will be an important step towards making Bastar division developed, self-reliant and capable.