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Work on `interlinking of rivers` to start by next April
New Delhi, Mar 16: Work on India`s most ambitious and expensive project, inter-linking of major rivers, which is being projected as the panacea to overcome recurring droughts and floods is expected to start by next April.
New Delhi, Mar 16: Work on India's most ambitious and expensive project, inter-linking of major rivers, which is being projected as the panacea to overcome recurring droughts and floods is expected to start by next April.
The project, 'guestimated' to cost Rs 5.6 lakh crore, would involve two schemes one linking the Himalayan rivers and other the peninsular rivers and is likely to be completed by 2016.
Former union minister Suresh Prabhu, who is chairman of the task force of the inter-linking of rivers, is quite upbeat about the dream project and has plans to convene a meeting of the chief ministers here in May or June to help empower the Centre to undertake the herculean effort.
The meeting to be presided by Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee would provide the direction for the project. Prabhu said in an interview that the "states will be put fully on board" in the endeavour and dismissed apprehensions that the project would change the share of the states in the river waters.
"Share of each state will remain unchanged as also awards on sharing of waters of inter-state rivers," he said adding that the completion of the project would witness an increase in the share of the states as availability of water would also increase.
Dismissing suggestions that the project would be financially unviable and could turn out to be a white elephant, Prabhu said the cost benefit evaluation of the project has been carried out in a systematic way.
Prabhu also emphasised that being a multi-purpose and multi-dimensional project, it would have many spin-off benefits. The project would help increase foodgrains production from the present 210 million tonnes to 450 million tonnes by bringing in 160 million hectares of land under irrigation, lead to generation of 35,000 kw of additional power and usher in a new waterway which would offer an alternative transport system.
The linking of rivers would help in the creation of ten crore new jobs by providing direct and indirect employment and would give a boost to cement, steel, transport, tourism, fisheries and agriculture.
Besides, it would create new forest cover by turning wastelands into fertile land and reduce pollution in the rivers, he said.
The task force has roped in a series of prestigious institutes from diverse fields such National Environmental Engineering Research Institute, Wildlife Institute of India, Indian Institute of Forest Management, Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad to address concerns in various areas including those involving environmental and rehabilitation problems.
The task force is also working in close cooperation with the ministry of external affairs as the project needed the support of neighbouring countries like Bhutan and Nepal. Prabhu said that the project has become a necessity in view of the growing population. He was of the view that only the Indian Ocean would be the "aggrieved party" as water would no longer go waste into the sea.
Bureau Report
Former union minister Suresh Prabhu, who is chairman of the task force of the inter-linking of rivers, is quite upbeat about the dream project and has plans to convene a meeting of the chief ministers here in May or June to help empower the Centre to undertake the herculean effort.
The meeting to be presided by Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee would provide the direction for the project. Prabhu said in an interview that the "states will be put fully on board" in the endeavour and dismissed apprehensions that the project would change the share of the states in the river waters.
"Share of each state will remain unchanged as also awards on sharing of waters of inter-state rivers," he said adding that the completion of the project would witness an increase in the share of the states as availability of water would also increase.
Dismissing suggestions that the project would be financially unviable and could turn out to be a white elephant, Prabhu said the cost benefit evaluation of the project has been carried out in a systematic way.
Prabhu also emphasised that being a multi-purpose and multi-dimensional project, it would have many spin-off benefits. The project would help increase foodgrains production from the present 210 million tonnes to 450 million tonnes by bringing in 160 million hectares of land under irrigation, lead to generation of 35,000 kw of additional power and usher in a new waterway which would offer an alternative transport system.
The linking of rivers would help in the creation of ten crore new jobs by providing direct and indirect employment and would give a boost to cement, steel, transport, tourism, fisheries and agriculture.
Besides, it would create new forest cover by turning wastelands into fertile land and reduce pollution in the rivers, he said.
The task force has roped in a series of prestigious institutes from diverse fields such National Environmental Engineering Research Institute, Wildlife Institute of India, Indian Institute of Forest Management, Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad to address concerns in various areas including those involving environmental and rehabilitation problems.
The task force is also working in close cooperation with the ministry of external affairs as the project needed the support of neighbouring countries like Bhutan and Nepal. Prabhu said that the project has become a necessity in view of the growing population. He was of the view that only the Indian Ocean would be the "aggrieved party" as water would no longer go waste into the sea.
Bureau Report