30 rivers to be linked in 10 years: Uma Bharti

Zee Media Bureau

New Delhi: Outlining the government`s ambitious plan to link rivers, Water Resources and River Development Minister Uma Bharti said on Thursday that the government plans to complete inter-linking of 30 rivers within ten years.

Bharti said that the task would be accomplished with the consent of concerned states. Care would be taken to prevent violation of environmental norms, she added. The National Perspective Plan prepared by the Ministry of Water Resources, National Water Development Authority has identified 14 links under the Himalayan component and 16 links under the Peninsular rivers component.

Replying to supplementaries during question hour in the Lok Sabha today, Bharati said Ken-Betwa rivers linkage project would be taken up first and all formalities in this regard have been completed. Stressing the NDA government`s commitment to provide irrigation facilities to drought hit regions of the country, the minister said that linkage of rivers across the country will help in expanding irrigation facilities to 35 million hectares and also help in producing 34000 MW of power.