Bhopal, July 17 (IANS) After 17 years of overcoming formidable geological challenges, the 11.952-kilometre-long tunnel has reached its final stage of completion. The state claimed it is the longest in the country. Once operational, Narmada water will flow through the tunnel by gravity to irrigate vast tracts of land in the Vindhya region.

The Sleemanabad Tunnel is a remarkable engineering achievement designed to carry Narmada water across the Vindhya mountain range to the Son River basin. Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav will visit the Sleemanabad Tunnel site in Katni district on Friday.

This project is expected to provide permanent irrigation benefits to 2.45 lakh hectares of land across nearly 1,450 villages in six districts: Jabalpur, Katni, Maihar, Satna, Rewa and Panna. The initiative promises to transform the agricultural economy of the Vindhya and Mahakaushal regions by bringing water to previously arid farmlands.

Constructed by the Narmada Valley Development Authority, the tunnel posed unprecedented technical difficulties. Engineers had to bore through hard marble, limestone, dolomite and vast underground caverns approximately 30 metres below ground level. Water ingress reaching up to 25,000 litres per minute and frequent soil collapses added to the complexity.

An American machine initially deployed broke down under these harsh conditions, prompting the state government to import a German Herrenknecht tunnel boring machine along with specialised TAM grouting technology. The tunnel passes safely beneath populated areas, a national highway and railway tracks without causing damage.

The project, awarded on a turn‑key basis to Hyderabad‑based M/s Patel‑SEW Joint Venture in 2008, was initially estimated at Rs 799 crore. Due to extraordinary geological hurdles and the adoption of advanced global technology, the total cost has risen to Rs 1,610.47 crore.

Physical progress on the project has reached 96.66 per cent, with the main tunnel and most canal sections already completed. Only a small portion of the cut‑and‑cover canal section remains. This gravity‑based tunnel, with a diameter of 10.14 metres, will allow millions of cusecs of Narmada water to flow naturally without electricity or heavy pumps.

It will directly benefit 21,823 hectares in Katni, 54,227 hectares in Maihar, 104,970 hectares in Satna and smaller areas in Rewa and Panna districts. Under Chief Minister Yadav’s monitoring, work on subsequent phases is progressing rapidly, with irrigation potential of 44,160 hectares already realised. The government aims to provide full irrigation to 87,433 hectares by December 2026 and 154,693 hectares by December 2027.

–IANS

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