Morand-Ganjal Irrigation Project

Recently the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) has issued a warning that the Morand-Ganjal Irrigation Project in Madhya Pradesh will lead to the submergence of crucial tiger habitats in the Satpura Wildlife Sanctuary and Melghat Tiger Reserves.

• The project is a dam-based irrigation initiativeaimed at enhancing agricultural productivity in Madhya Pradesh.
• It involves the Morand and Ganjal Rivers.While the Morand River is a tributary of the Ganjal River, the Ganjal is itself a left-bank tributary of the Narmada River.
• Satpura Wildlife Sanctuary, established in 2000, is located south of the Narmada River in Madhya Pradesh’s Satpura ranges.
• It is home to Bengal tigers, leopards, and diverse flora, and connects with Pench National Park.
• Melghat Tiger Reserve, established in 1967 and declared a tiger reserve in 1974, lies in Maharashtra’s Gavilgarh Hill.
• Known for its tropical dry forests and home to the critically endangered forest owlet, it was the first tiger reserve in Maharashtra under Project Tiger.