The Hindu : 'Inter-basin transfer of water only solution'

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Mar 17, 2002

National

National

'Inter-basin transfer of water only solution'

NEW DELHI MARCH 15. Inter-basin transfer of water in different regions of the country was the only permanent solution to tackle drought and floods in the face of growing water demands due to increase in population, the Union Minister for Water Resources, Arjun Charan Sethi, said here today.

Bringing water from surplus areas to the needy places by inter-linking rivers can be a long-term solution to mitigate the problem of drought and floods. For this, consensus should be achieved among basin States and political leadership for taking up inter-basin water transfer proposals.

The estimated benefits of inter-basin transfer in terms of irrigation, drought proofing, flood control and power were too significant to be ignored.

The longer inter-basin transfers are delayed, the more costly will proposals become and more difficult to implement, the Minister said, addressing the 18th annual general meeting of the National Water Development Agency (NWDA).

The NWDA has completed feasibility reports of 31 links — 17 in the peninsular component and 14 in the Himalayan component.

Feasibility reports of six links under the peninsular component have also been done.

Survey and investigations of two more links, i.e., Subarnarekha-Mahanadi and Rajasthan-Sabarmati, for preparation of feasibility reports have now been taken up. Mr. Sethi said the bulk of the work in the peninsular component would be completed by 2003, while the completion of feasibility reports of the Himalayan component might extend up to 2008.

Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

National