Parl panel raps Centre for moving at snail's pace on river-linking projects

A Parliamentary Committee on Water Resources has vehemently criticized the central government for the non-implementation of inter-linking of rivers projects (ILR). Write ETV Bharat's Gautam Debroy.

New Delhi:A Parliamentary Committee on Water Resources has vehemently criticized the central government for the non-implementation of inter-linking of rivers projects (ILR). The committee in its 17th report tabled in the Lok Sabha recently has noted with disappointment that although National Perspective Plan (NPP) was formulated way back in 1980, no project for interlinking of rivers (ILR) has reached the execution stage so far.

The committee understands that evolving consensus among the States is the biggest obstacle to the implementation of this ambitious program. "However, considering the huge losses caused by floods every year and huge benefits accruing out of the interlinking of rivers, the department needs to make concerted efforts to convince the States and arrive at a national consensus so that the project of ILR beacons a reality," the committee headed by BJP MP Dr. Sanjay Jaiswal said.

A National Perspective Plan was prepared by the then Ministry of Irrigation (presently Jal Shakti Ministry) in 1980 for transferring water from water surplus basins to water deficit basins. Under the NPP, the National Water Development Agency (NWDA) has identified 30 links for the preparation of feasibility reports. The pre-feasibility reports of all the 30 links have been completed and circulated to the concerned States.

The ministry has informed that committee that there would be huge benefits on account of implementation of interlining of rivers as per NPP in terms of irrigation, and power generation, apart from the incidental benefits of flood control, drought mitigation, navigation, water supply, fisheries, salinity and pollution control, etc.

Officials from the Jal Shakti Ministry, however, informed the committee that the implementation of river link projects involved various steps including negotiation and consensus among concerned States, preparation of DPRs of the projects, clearance from the Ministry of Environment and Forest and Climate Change, Ministry of Tribal Affairs, techno-economic clearance by the advisory committee on irrigation, flood control and multipurpose projects of Ministry of Jal Shakti and investment clearance.

"Union Government is pursuing the interlinking of rivers program in a consultative manner. A task force has also been constituted by the Ministry of Water Resource for building consensus among the concerned States and also setting out road maps for implementation of these projects," the official said. Talking to ETV Bharat, LJP's Lok Sabha MP Chandan Singh said that the interlinking of rivers is a must for proper utilization and diversion of excess water to the drought-hit areas.

"I believe, the concerned ministry is in touch with the State government for early execution of the project which will not only protect the State from floods and excess water, the project if implemented will also help the drought-hit States," said Singh who is also a member of the Parliamentary committee. He said that the interlinking of rivers will work against drought as well as flood. "All the concerned state governments must come forward and expedite the implementation of the long awaited project," said Singh.