Mumbai, Aug 7 (PTI) In a significant decision aimed at irrigating agriculture in talukas affected by farmer suicides in Vidarbha region, the Maharashtra government on Wednesday approved the Wainganga-Nalganga river linking project.

The project, with an estimated cost of Rs 85,000 crore, plans to channel water from Wainganga, a tributary of Godavari river, to the Wainganga project in Buldhana district and connect it to Nalganga, a sub-tributary of Tapi river.

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To achieve this, 426-km of canal network will be constructed, the Chief Minister's Office (CMO) stated in a release.

"Fifteen talukas of Nagpur, Wardha, Amravati, Yavatmal, Akola and Buldhana will be brought under irrigation under the project. Water can be used for drinking purposes as well as industrial use," it said.

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To ensure that water can be used even in Rabi season, 31 storage reservoirs are also being built, as per the release.

In another decision, the council of ministers approved the imposition of a Rs 50,000 fine for cutting a tree without permission.

The violation will lead to the seizing of equipment and the confiscating of the vehicle used for transporting chopped wood. Accordingly, the Maharashtra Tree Felling Act 1964 will be amended.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)