PRAGATI Accelerates India’s Major Irrigation and Water Projects, Unlocks ₹2.86 Lakh Crore Investments

By converting years-old bottlenecks into actionable outcomes, PRAGATI has ensured steady progress towards commissioning and service delivery of critical irrigation and water assets.

Water security remains one of India’s most critical development challenges, shaping livelihoods, food security, public health and economic productivity. Against the backdrop of rising urbanisation, climate variability and competing sectoral demands, the Government of India has intensified efforts to ensure resilient, equitable and timely water-resource development through large-scale irrigation and river-management projects.

The Department of Water Resources, River Development & Ganga Rejuvenation, under the Ministry of Jal Shakti, is implementing a wide portfolio of nationally significant irrigation, flood management and river-development initiatives aimed at expanding storage capacity, improving command efficiency and enhancing agricultural resilience.

To address long-standing execution challenges inherent in such complex, multi-stakeholder projects, several high-value initiatives have been brought under the Pro-Active Governance and Timely Implementation (PRAGATI) platform—enabling direct review and intervention at the level of the Hon’ble Prime Minister.

PRAGATI: Unlocking Stalled Projects Through High-Level Governance

Large water projects typically involve challenges spanning land acquisition, rehabilitation and resettlement, environmental clearances, inter-state coordination, funding flows, contract management and field-level encumbrances. The PRAGATI mechanism has played a decisive role in resolving these issues through time-bound directions, accountability alignment and sustained monitoring.

By converting years-old bottlenecks into actionable outcomes, PRAGATI has ensured steady progress towards commissioning and service delivery of critical irrigation and water assets.

Project Portfolio Snapshot

Across the Ministry’s portfolio, 93 major projects are currently tracked on the Prime Minister’s Gati Shakti (PMG) system, representing a cumulative investment of ₹2.86 lakh crore.

• 44 projects worth ₹44,122.94 crore have already been commissioned, including one PRAGATI-reviewed project

• 49 projects valued at ₹2.42 lakh crore are under implementation, of which nine projects have been reviewed under PRAGATI

• In total, 10 projects worth ₹43,583 crore have undergone PRAGATI-level review, underscoring their national importance

These projects span the Agriculture, Water Resources and Waste & Water sectors, directly supporting irrigation expansion, drought mitigation and flood management.

Issue Resolution at Scale

At the implementation level, 126 issues were identified across the 93 projects. Of these, 106 issues have already been resolved, including 14 issues related to PRAGATI-reviewed projects, achieved through coordinated follow-up between Central Ministries and State Governments.

This structured governance framework has ensured that high-value public investments continue to move decisively towards completion.

Key PRAGATI-Reviewed Projects

The PRAGATI-reviewed initiatives include strategically important projects such as:

• North Koel Reservoir Project

• Gosikhurd Project and CADWM works

• Subernarekha Multipurpose Project (Jharkhand and Odisha)

• Integrated Anandpur Barrage Project

• Sulwade–Jamphal–Kanoli Lift Irrigation Scheme

• Lower Pedhi Project

• Bembla Irrigation Project

• Aruna Medium Irrigation Project

Collectively, these projects expand irrigation potential, stabilise existing command areas, improve drought resilience and enhance farmer incomes across multiple States.

Overall, PRAGATI-reviewed projects have achieved an average physical progress of 73 per cent, with one project—the Bembla Irrigation Project in Maharashtra—already commissioned.

Case Study: Bembla Irrigation Project, Maharashtra

The Bembla Irrigation Project, implemented under the Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY), demonstrates the tangible impact of PRAGATI-led oversight.

Sanctioned on 2 April 2007, the project is located in Yavatmal district, Maharashtra, and aims to irrigate multiple tehsils including Babhulgaon, Kalamb, Ralegaon and Maregaon, benefiting drought-prone areas of the Vidarbha region.

Challenges Faced

The project encountered persistent delays due to:

• Pending land acquisition of 47.21 hectares

• Incomplete canal lining works (32% pending) due to irrigation-season constraints, sand shortages and COVID-19 disruptions

• Delayed irrigation potential creation under the Dehani Lift Irrigation Scheme, affecting 1,200 hectares

PRAGATI Intervention

The project was reviewed by the Hon’ble Prime Minister under PRAGATI on 25 October 2023, with clear directions issued to resolve land acquisition issues, expedite canal lining works and address contractor-related impediments through coordinated Centre–State action.

Outcomes Achieved

• 87.70 km of canal lining completed out of 112.40 km

• Non-performing contractor terminated following due process

• Joint measurements finalised and revised estimates prepared for remaining works

• Accelerated execution through multi-level monitoring and enhanced field capacity

As a result, the project was successfully commissioned on 30 June 2025.

The Bembla Irrigation Project is expected to significantly enhance irrigation coverage, strengthen agricultural resilience and boost farmer incomes in Yavatmal district, delivering long-term socio-economic benefits.

PRAGATI as a Governance Accelerator

Viewed holistically, the Ministry of Jal Shakti’s PRAGATI-tracked portfolio reflects a whole-of-government commitment to water security, resilient agriculture, sanitation and rural development.

By combining infrastructure investment, institutional coordination, technology-enabled monitoring and local-level execution, PRAGATI has emerged as a powerful governance accelerator—resolving complex inter-agency challenges, sustaining execution momentum and ensuring that public investments translate into measurable outcomes for citizens.

The experience of water-sector projects under PRAGATI demonstrates how high-level oversight, coupled with cooperative federalism, can transform critical national infrastructure delivery at scale.