Centre pursues rivers inter-linking despite Telangana’s objections

Hyderabad: Despite stiff opposition to interlinking of rivers by the TRS government, the Central government on Thursday informed the Lok Sabha that the feasibility reports of eight proposals to link Mahanadi-Godavari, Godavari-Krishna and Krishna-Pennar had been completed. Of the eight proposals, Detailed Project Reports (DPRs) of Godavari (Ichampalli) and Krishna (Nagarjunasagar) and Krishna (Nagarjunasagar) – […]

Hyderabad: Despite stiff opposition to interlinking of rivers by the TRS government, the Central government on Thursday informed the Lok Sabha that the feasibility reports of eight proposals to link Mahanadi-Godavari, Godavari-Krishna and Krishna-Pennar had been completed.

Of the eight proposals, Detailed Project Reports (DPRs) of Godavari (Ichampalli) and Krishna (Nagarjunasagar) and Krishna (Nagarjunasagar) – Pennar (Somasila) were completed while preparation of DPR for linking Mahanadi-Godavari was under progress. The feasibility reports and DPRs of linking the rivers were taken up under the inter-linking of rivers programme.

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Union Minister of State for Jal Shakti Bishweswar Tudu, responding to a question by BJP MP Hema Malini, said that under the National Perspective Plan (NPP), the National Water Development Agency (NWDA) has identified 30 links. Of the 30 links, 16 were under Peninsular Component and 14 under Himalayan Component for preparation of feasibility reports.

Tudu said the government was pursuing the interlinking of rivers (ILR) programme in a consultative manner and has accorded it priority. “There is a structured mechanism for preparing work plans, fixing the targets, consultation with all stakeholders and reviewing the progress of ILR projects,” he said.

The DPRs of link projects after completion were sent to the States concerned and efforts were made by way of holding regular consultation meetings with the States to build consensus on water sharing. A Special Committee on Interlinking of Rivers (SCILR) was constituted in September, 2014 to expedite execution of ILR projects, he said.

In all, 19 meetings of the Special Committee have been held so far and its latest meeting was held on November 12, 2021, the union Minister said. Further, a Task Force on Interlinking of Rivers was also constituted in April, 2015 to look into the issues pertaining to interlinking of rivers.

Fifteen meetings of the Task Force have been held so far and the latest meeting was held on October 22, 2021, he said.

It may be recalled that Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao, reacting to the union budget which proposed inter-linking of rivers, had found fault with the Centre’s announcement on plans to interlink Krishna, Godavari and Cauvery rivers without seeking the consent of the stakeholder States.

Terming it as the joke of the millenium, he demanded that the Modi government explain its policy on river interlinking and the Centre’s powers to facilitate the same.

He pointed out that river interlinking cannot be taken up without declaring the surplus waters and demanded on knowing the basis on which the union Government came to the conclusion on surplus waters in both Krishna and Godavari rivers.