Gadkari asks to consider river interlinking project priority

Ravi S.Singh
Tribune News Service
New Delhi, August 20

Union Water Resources Minister Nitin Gadkari on Monday urged states to arrive at consensus on rivers interlinking project to harness waters “draining” unutilised into the sea to areas in need.

Addressing a meeting of Special Committee for interlinking of rivers, he asked states to consider the project on priority because it help divert water from surplus to drought- prone areas. The project envisages transfer of surplus water available in Himalayan Rivers to the regions in Peninsular India that are dogged by inadequate supply.

”However, the irony is that even waters of several Peninsular rivers get presently drained into the sea, necessitating further urgent call in favour of linking of the rivers,” the minister said.

The government has rolled in motion measures for speedy implementation of five interlinking projects. The Water Resources Ministry is finalising Memorandum of Agreement (MoUs) in consultation with concerned states regarding their speedy implementation.

These are Ken-Betwa link project, Damanganga-Pinjal link project, Par-Tapi-Narmada link project, Godavari-Cauvery (Grand Anicut) link project and Parvati-Kali Sindhu-Chambal link.

“The successful completion of these projects will lead to reduction in disaster during floods, improve irrigation facilities and employment generation in rural agriculture,” Gadkari said.

He batted for a legal mechanism to resolve inter-state and centre-state issues in interlinking of river projects.