The Wainganga-Nalganga (Purna Tapi) River linking project will irrigate 3.7 lakh hectare of agricultural land in six districts in Vidarbha region.

• Under the project, excess water from Gosikhurd dam in Bhandara district will be diverted to Nalganga dam in Buldhana district in western Vidarbha by constructing 426.52km of link canals.
• The National Water Development Agency (NWDA) presented the detailed project report in 2018 and the project has since received approval from the Central Water Commission.
• It will supplement the National River Linking Project (NRLP). 

About NRLP

• NRLP is based on the National Perspective Plan (NPP) which was prepared by the then Ministry of Irrigation (now Ministry of Jal Shakti) in 1980 for transferring water from water surplus basins to water-deficit basins.
• Under the NPP, the NWDA has identified 30 links (16 under Peninsular Component & 14 under Himalayan Component) for Feasibility Reports.
• In 2021, Union Cabinet approved the implementation of Ken Betwa river link - first interlinking of rivers project. 

Significance of NRLP: Providing an additional irrigation in drought prone areas (Bundelkhand region), provide navigation, reducing flooding problems (E.g. Kosi river), etc. 

Challenges: Resettlement and rehabilitation of the project, Environmental costs (deforestation, soil- erosion, etc.), etc.