A section of the media has incorrectly reported that Central Water Commission (CWC), External Assistance Directorate has rejected Gujarat Government request for funds for Saurashtra Narmada Avtaran Irrigation Yojana (SAUNI) on technical grounds, questioning the feasibility of the project.
It is clarified that the report is incorrect. The Ministry of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation has conveyed its ‘in-principle’ approval of SAUNI-II Project to the Department of Economic Affairs, Government of India in October, 2016.
The facts are as follows:
As a standing procedure, all major and medium irrigation projects are required to undergo technical evaluation by CWC and that States should submit a compliance report on the observations of CWC. This is a continuous, consultative process, which is taken both at the Preliminary Project Report (PPR) and Detailed Project Report (DPR) stages.
In the case of SAUNI-II Project, CWC had made certain observations on the Preliminary Project Report submitted by Gujarat Government. The State Government has since submitted a detailed compliance report and the Ministry of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation has recommended SAUNI-II Project to the Department of Economic Affairs, Government of India, for obtaining external assistance.