Bembla Revived: A ₹4.7k Crore Bet on Yavatmal’s Future

The Maharashtra Cabinet has approved ₹4,775 crore to complete the long-pending Bembla river irrigation project in Yavatmal district, reviving a scheme that has faced delays and cost overruns in Vidarbha for more than five decades.

The decision was taken at a Cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis amid persistent agrarian distress in the region. Originally conceived in 1983 at an estimated cost of ₹50.76 crore and sanctioned in 1992, the project underwent multiple revisions and delivered only limited irrigation benefits over the years. Located on the Bembla river near Khadak Sawanga village, the project falls under the Vidarbha Irrigation Development Corporation and the Godavari basin. Officials said momentum returned after Prime Minister Narendra Modi reviewed stalled irrigation projects and directed their completion within a stipulated timeframe.

Once completed, the Bembla project is expected to provide irrigation to 58,768 hectares across five talukas of Yavatmal district. The Cabinet also approved ₹89.32 crore for the rehabilitation of Mouza Dhamak village, which will be developed as a model settlement, significantly supporting local livelihoods.

News by Rahul Yelligetti.