Valsad, Oct 12 — A Rs 159.50 crore barrage on the Daman-Ganga river near Vapi in Gujarat’s Valsad district is set to be taken up, with the project expected to provide irrigation to 549 hectares of agricultural land, improve groundwater recharge and strengthen water availability for domestic and industrial use.
The barrage is proposed near Namdha village in Vapi taluka, around three km downstream of the existing Vapi Weir.
An Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) project has been commissioned for its construction, according to the state government’s Department of Narmada, Water Resources, Water Supply and Kalpsar.
The project is expected to have a gross storage capacity of 5.49 million cubic metres (MCM) and a catchment area of 2,250.73 sq km.
The Gujarat government has fast-tracked the project under Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, while its stated objective is to strengthen water security and improve access to drinking and irrigation water.
Six villages — Namdha, Chandor, Mohan, Eklahare, Nahuli and Jamburi — have been identified as beneficiaries of the irrigation component. Water stored in the barrage is expected to be supplied to farms through lift irrigation, including pressurised irrigation facilities.
The government expects the additional water supply to help farmers bring currently unirrigated land under cultivation and grow two or more crops a year, potentially increasing agricultural incomes.
The barrage is also expected to support industrial and municipal water requirements in Vapi and surrounding areas.
Data for 2024-25 show that the existing Vapi Weir supplied 19 MCM of water to the Gujarat Industrial Development Corporation’s Vapi estate for industrial use, 7.30 MCM for water supply and 6 MCM to Vapi Municipal Corporation.
These supplies generated total revenue of Rs 69.15 crore, according to officials. The additional storage created by the proposed barrage could support greater non-agricultural water use and generate further revenue for the civic body, the department said. Groundwater recharge is another key objective.
The project is expected to create a stretch of water storage extending around 3.5 km upstream of the barrage, potentially helping recharge existing tube wells in Vapi town.
This could improve groundwater availability and quality, support domestic use, and help address deterioration in soil and water conditions. The barrage is also designed to regulate tidal water and limit the ingress of salinity into the riverbed.
By reducing the influence of tidal water, the project is expected to support groundwater recharge in the surrounding area. The government has also outlined potential urban benefits for Vapi, which has a population of about 2.3 lakh.
These include improved drinking-water availability, recreational facilities such as parks and boating areas, riverfront development and a new road corridor across the river intended to improve urban mobility.
Other anticipated benefits include improved river-water conditions, increased tourism and employment opportunities, and wider regional economic development.
The project is also expected to create local livelihood opportunities that could help reduce seasonal migration.
The state government has presented the barrage as part of efforts to improve water security for future generations while meeting the growing agricultural, domestic and industrial needs of the Valsad district.