In a significant shake-up of its infrastructure planning, the Maharashtra government has opted to cancel irrigation and water conservation projects worth ₹2,000 crore that have not yet begun, in light of growing financial liabilities and a longstanding backlog of incomplete works.
This decision follows a comprehensive review led by Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on April 28, where the increasing pendency of projects under the Water Conservation Department came under scrutiny. Over the years, the department has sanctioned nearly 9,800 small-scale irrigation schemes—such as KT weirs, percolation tanks, and lift irrigation systems—costing a cumulative ₹21,000 crore. While ₹11,000 crore has already been spent, a further ₹10,000 crore is required to see the projects through.
Many of the unfinished works stretch back two decades. Government data shows projects worth ₹225 crore from 2000-2005, ₹1,200 crore from 2006-2012, ₹800 crore from 2012-2018, and ₹4,200 crore from 2018-2022 remain incomplete. In the most recent wave of approvals, 6,948 new projects worth ₹13,600 crore were cleared between 2022 and 2025 under the leadership of Chief Minister Eknath Shinde.
A government official who attended the meeting revealed that only projects with significant physical progress would now move forward. “We’re left with no option but to call off schemes where no work has started. Even if clearances or work orders were issued, they’ll be revoked if the ground reality shows zero execution,” the official said. The total cost of these abandoned projects is estimated at ₹2,000 crore.
Going forward, the government will prioritise schemes that are already 75% completed. Those between 50% and 75% will follow, while all other works will be kept in abeyance. This move underscores a shifting focus from ambitious sanctioning to realistic completion, as the state seeks to balance fiscal discipline with long-overdue infrastructure needs.
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