Overview
- Chief Minister Mohan Yadav inaugurated the Narmada-Jhabua-Petlawad-Thandla-Sardarpur micro-lift irrigation project on Saturday, October 24, 2026, and officials said construction is complete with testing and commissioning now under way.
- The scheme will lift 186.62 million cubic metres of water from the Narmada at Chandan Khedi and push it through underground pipelines to supply water at about 20 metres of pressure into 2.5-hectare farm blocks.
- Officials say the Rs 2,387.60 crore project will provide irrigation to 57,422 hectares across 260 villages in Dhar and Jhabua districts and is expected to benefit roughly 70,000–72,000 farmers.
- At the inauguration the chief minister also transferred Rs 317.86 crore in Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana payments for the Rabi 2025-26 season and launched or laid foundations for additional development works worth about Rs 188 crore, while local leaders urged inclusion of villages left out and sought drought relief.
- The system will require 102.30 MW of power to run, so reliable electricity and follow-up decisions on adding excluded villages will determine whether the project reduces water use, removes the need to level fields, and raises farm incomes as planned.