Gujarat Govt Okays ₹1,700-Crore Badalpur-Kareli Barrage-cum-Bridge over Mahi River

Gandhinagar: The Gujarat government has given in-principle approval to the Badalpur-Kareli Barrage-cum-Bridge project to be built across the Mahi River near Dhuvaran in Anand at a cost of ₹1,700 crore. This project will greatly benefit lakhs of people in Anand, Vadodara and Bharuch districts in terms of drinking water, irrigation and transport facilities. The government has now decided to undertake the survey work for the project.

According to Rajat Chaudhary, Executive Engineer of the Anand Irrigation Department, the project involves constructing a two-kilometre-long bridge structure across the middle of the Mahi riverbed, which is around 4.5 km wide. In this, 70 gates will be installed to regulate the river’s flow and store the maximum possible freshwater. A protection embankment will be built across the remaining stretch. The project will also incorporate flood management technology and a robust cross-drainage system to ensure the safety of both traffic and water storage during heavy rainfall and floods.

The barrage will be capable of storing around 183 million cubic metres of freshwater. Notably, as of now, the region largely depends on the Kadana Dam for drinking water. Once the barrage is completed, dependence on the dam is expected to reduce significantly, as the stored freshwater will provide a reliable source of water for surrounding areas.

Additionally, seawater reaches up to the Sindhrot Weir, around 50 km upstream, leading to persistent salinity problems in the region. The construction of the Badalpur Barrage is expected to permanently address soil salinity by maintaining a substantial freshwater reserve. Around 16,000 hectares of land will benefit directly from the project, the state government said in a press release.

The project will provide clean drinking water to more than 15 lakh people across about 80 villages, including 42 villages in Anand district, 30 in Vadodara district and eight in Bharuch district.

The Barrage-cum-Bridge will significantly improve road connectivity by reducing the travel distance between Khambhat and Tarapur to Jambusar and the Dahej industrial estate by nearly 75 km. The shorter route is expected to save thousands of litres of fuel every day while reducing travel time. It will also strengthen the movement of goods between the Dahej PCPIR and the Khambhat-Tarapur industrial belt, providing a boost to trade and industry.

According to the Gujarat government, the project will directly or indirectly benefit 409 villages and 32 lakes, including 152 villages in Anand district, 164 in Vadodara district and 81 in Bharuch district. DeshGujarat