- By Vaidika Thapa
- Thu, 16 Jul 2026 06:37 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
- India's longest 12 km irrigation tunnel nears completion.
- Narmada water to flow to Son Basin via gravity.
- ₹1,500 crore project overcame major engineering challenges.
Bhopal: A major water project aimed at carrying the waters of the Narmada River to the Son Basin is nearing completion. A nearly 12-kilometre-long underground tunnel has been constructed through the Vindhya mountain range in Sleemanabad, Katni district, Madhya Pradesh.
According to the Narmada Valley Development Authority (NVDA), the Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) involved in the construction reached the cemented shaft on Tuesday. With this, the pathway for carrying Narmada river water further has been cleared. The only remaining task is to remove the massive boring machines from the shaft. Jagran.com quoted NVDA SDO Deepak Mandloi, who stated that the process of taking out the machines will be completed in around one and a half months, after which water will be released into the canal.
Centuries-Old Tale Of Narmada And Sonbhadra
According to a popular folk tale, Narmada, the daughter of the Maikal hills, was once set to marry Sonbhadra. Before the wedding, Narmada sent her friend Juhila to meet Sonbhadra and learn more about him. However, Sonbhadra mistook Juhila for Narmada. When Narmada came to know about this, she was heartbroken and turned westward in anger. Sonbhadra tried to follow her, but it was too late. While Narmada flowed towards the west, Sonbhadra moved towards the east.
The two rivers originated from the same mountain region but flowed in opposite directions, separated by the rocky peaks of the Vindhya range. Now, centuries later, humans have created a path through those mountains, connecting Narmada’s waters with the Son Basin.
Tunnel Built By Cutting Through Mountains
The construction of the Narmada River project began in 2011. The downstream section of the tunnel, built from Salaiya Phatak to Khirni village, was completed earlier. The upstream work was initially scheduled to finish by the end of 2025 but was extended and has now been completed. NVDA SDO Mandloi said, “The tunnel being constructed near Sleemanabad under the Narmada Right Bank Canal Project is almost complete. Only six metres of work was pending on Monday, and it was completed by Tuesday.”
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He added that the machines will now reach the constructed shaft, where they will be dismantled and removed. Once completed, the tunnel will provide a route to carry Narmada water further ahead. To remove the advanced tunnel boring machines imported from the US and Germany, NVDA has constructed a 100-feet-deep cemented shaft. The machines will be dismantled, and their parts will be lifted out using cranes. The tracks and other materials installed inside the tunnel will also be removed.
Rs 1,500 Crore Tunnel Project
When the project started in 2011, the estimated cost was Rs 799 crore. However, as the work progressed, the cost increased to around Rs 1,500 crore. The project has created India’s longest irrigation water tunnel, measuring 11.952 kilometres in length and 10.14 metres in diameter. Once water starts flowing through it, the tunnel will carry Narmada water through natural gravitational flow without requiring pumps.
A Major Engineering Marvel
The tunnel project was a challenging engineering task, with engineers facing several obstacles while creating a route through the mountains. On one side were massive hills, while on the other side were farms waiting for water. During construction, workers faced challenges such as sinkholes, air loss, the risk of liquefaction, falling debris, extremely hard rocks, carbon dioxide emissions and repeated damage to the tunnel boring machine’s cutter heads.
Engineers had to overcome every obstacle while crossing the Vindhya mountain range. Although the tunnel was being built to transport river water, groundwater repeatedly slowed down the work. Pumps had to operate continuously, while engineers studied every new layer of rock. Workers removed water, cleared debris and prepared the ground for the machines to move forward.
Inside the tunnel, workers experienced no sunrise or sunset. Time was measured only by clocks. Machines were used to monitor air quality, and workers spending long hours deep inside the mountains saw the sky only after completing their shifts. After years of effort and overcoming multiple challenges, the project now stands as a major engineering achievement.