Task Force on inter-linking of rivers to meet in Hyderabad

The Chairman of CWC, Director General of NWDA, Secretaries of Irrigation of AP, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and other expert members will take part in the meeting of the Task Force

Hyderabad: The Task Force on Interlinking of Rivers will meet in Hyderabad on Friday to discuss the Godavari-Krishna-Pennar-Cauvery inter linking.

The Chairman of CWC, Director General of NWDA, Secretaries of Irrigation of AP, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and other expert members will take part in the meeting of the Task Force. Consensus building among party States for implementation of the inter-linking of rivers (ILR schemes) will be the priority issue on the agenda.

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The steps to be taken towards implementation of various ILR schemes in general will be discussed at the Task Force meeting. The meeting will be chaired by Sriram Vedire, chairman of the Task Force. The Ken-Betwa link Project is one of the river links taken up under National Perspective Plan (NPP). It is being implemented as a national project with consensus between the party States of Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh.

The implementation of Godavari (Inchampalli) – Cauvery (Grand Anicut) link (G- C link) in particular will the main issue on the agenda of this meeting. The project envisages diversion of 4189 MCM from Godavari to Cauvery with the introduction of micro irrigation system to improve the water use efficiency. The Technical Feasibility Report of the proposal has been circulated to party States in January.

The work on the modification of DPR as per above proposal for transfer of about 4189 MCM of water in the interim phase has been taken up. Meetings are being held with party States to expedite the consensus building process for implementation of the project.