Govt trying to start 5 river inter-linking projects in FY19
The government is trying to start work on five river inter-linking projects in the current fiscal and secure financial assistance from World Bank and Asian Development Bank for the Rs. 2 lakh crore project, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari said. "We are making efforts that work on all these five projects starts by March in the current financial year itself," he said in Rajya Sabha.
Arjun Ram Meghwal explains the delay in implementing the projects
Gadkari, the Minister for Water Resources, River Development, and Ganga Rejuvenation, further said a cabinet note has been moved seeking to accord recognition to it as a National Project. Minister of State for Water Resources Arjun Ram Meghwal said the delay in implementing the river inter-linking projects was due to projects like the Manas-Sankosh-Teesta-Ganga being connected to Bhutan, Kosi-Mechi, and Kosi-Ghaghara to Nepal.
Six links under National Perspective Plan for Water Resources Development
Under the Himalayan Component of the National Perspective Plan for Water Resources Development, six links in Bihar are the Manas-Sankosh-Teesta-Ganga link project, Kosi-Ghaghara link project, Chunar-Sone Barrage link project, Sone Dam-Southern Tributaries of Ganga link project, Kosi-Mechi link project, and Jogighopa-Teesta-Farakka link project.
5 of 30 projects reached the advanced stage: Meghwal
"We have about 30 river inter-linking projects, (which) we have taken up for PFR, DPR. Out of these, 5 projects are in the advanced stage which include Ken-Betwa, Godavari-Cauvery, Daman Ganga-Pinjal," Meghwal said. Gadkari said in two out of these five projects in Gujarat and Maharashtra, i.e., Tapi-Narmada and Daman Ganga-Pinjal, some unanimity has been achieved and the agreements will be signed soon.
Rs. 60,000cr to be spent on Polavaram dam on Godavari
"We planned to do the agreements during the present Parliament Session... but it will be cleared eventually. Consensus has arrived on the Ken-Betwa project related to Bundelkhand connected to UP and MP and it will be signed after this Parliament session," Gadkari said. Gadkari also said about Rs. 60,000cr is estimated to be spent on the building of the Polavaram dam on Godavari river.
Gadkari speaks about Tamil Nadu-Karnataka row over Cauvery
"The backwaters bring Godavari's water to Krishna river, Krishna's water to Pennar, and Pennar's water to Cauvery. When Karnataka and Tamil Nadu are fighting over 40TMC and 3,000TMC water is flowing into the ocean, this is also very significant," Gadkari noted.
