Banswara Vagad Mega Water Grid: Rajasthan's Rs 2,500-crore Upper High Level Canal project advances as engineering marvel

The Upper High Level Canal (UHLC) project being developed by the Rajasthan government in Banswara district is being described as a "mega water grid" and a model of modern engineering rather than a mere irrigation scheme. Built at an estimated cost of about Rs 2,500 crore, the project comprises roughly a 102 km main canal, 22.5 km of tunnels and cut-and-cover structures, and a 5,000 km underground HDPE pipeline network. Because the Vagad region is full of hills and valleys, traditional canals were difficult to build, so tunnels are being driven through the hills while aqueducts carry water over valleys and rivers. The project includes siphons, super passages, regulators, road bridges and around 230 major engineering structures in all. A key feature is its smart irrigation system: SCADA (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition) technology will monitor the network and release water as required. About 200 diggis (reservoirs) are being built so that water first reaches these storage points and then the fields. The 5,000 km pipeline reduces wastage from open channels and ensures equal supply to the tail end, with hydrant points provided every 1.25 to 1.50 hectares so farmers can irrigate directly. On completion, the project will provide year-round irrigation water to about 42,000 hectares of farmland across 338 villages of Banswara district, benefiting around 3.5 lakh people directly and indirectly. Currently work is underway on about 42 km of the canal network, with intake structures and sluice barrels nearly complete.