The Eastern Rajasthan Canal Project(ERCP)

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About the project-

• It aims to harvest surplus water available during the rainy season in rivers in southern Rajasthan, such as the Chambal and its tributaries Kunnu, Parvati, and Kalisindh, and use it in the water-scarce south-eastern districts of the state.

• The project was approved by the Central Water Commission in 2017.

• This scheme is planned to meet the Drinking / Irrigation and Industrial water needs of the thirteen districts of Southern & South Eastern Rajasthan.
• According to the state Water Resources Department, Rajasthan’s geographical area of 342.52 lakh hectares equals 10.4 percent of the entire country but holds only 1.16 per cent of India’s surface water and 1.72 percent of groundwater.
• Among the state’s water bodies, only the Chambal river basin has surplus water, but this water cannot be tapped directly because the area around the Kota barrage is designated as a crocodile sanctuary.
• Through the help of diversion structures, interbasin water transfers, linking channels, and building pumping main feeder channels, the ERCP aims to create a network of water channels that will cover 23.67 per cent of the area and 41.13 per cent of the population of the state.
• ERCP will help fulfil the long-term irrigation and drinking water needs of 13 districts: Jhalawar, Baran, Kota, Bundi, Sawai Madhopur, Ajmer, Tonk, Jaipur, Karauli, Alwar, Bharatpur, Dausa, and Dholpur.
• Under the project the surplus water in the sub basins of Kunnu, Kul, Parvati, Kalisindh and Mej rivers received during monsoon has to be carried to the sub basin of Banas, Morel, Banganga, Gambhir and Parbati rivers.
• The project will help to irrigate nearly 2.8 lakh hectares of land through 26 different large and medium projects.
• Proposed to be completed in three phases in seven years from 2017 to 2023.

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