Madhya Pradesh Completes India's Longest Irrigation Tunnel After 17 Years

The Government of Madhya Pradesh is completing the Sleemanabad Tunnel, which is set to become India's longest underground water tunnel. After 17 years of construction, only one meter of tunneling remains for the 11.952-kilometer structure. Designed to transport Narmada River water from the Bargi reservoir to the Son river basin via gravity, the tunnel eliminates the need for pumps and is engineered to withstand major earthquakes with a 100-year lifespan.

Constructed by the Narmada Valley Development Authority and awarded to the Patel-SEW Joint Venture in 2008, the project faced severe geological challenges, including sinkholes, soil collapses, and boring machine failures. These hurdles required advanced German Herrenknecht machinery and TAM grouting, contributing to a cost increase from an estimated Rs 799 crore to Rs 1,610.47 crore. The central government provided approximately Rs 275 crore in funding for the project.

Chief Minister Mohan Yadav inspected the site in Katni district on Friday, noting that water should reach roughly one lakh hectares in time for the upcoming rabi season. The project aims to provide permanent irrigation to 2.45 lakh hectares across 1,450 villages in the districts of Jabalpur, Katni, Satna, Maihar, Rewa, and Panna. The state government intends to achieve full irrigation of 154,693 hectares by December 2027.