The National Commission for Integrated Water Resource Development Plan (IWRDP) had in a policy recommendation categorically stated that the “Himalayan river linking project was not feasible for the period of review up to 2050”.
The IWRDP was set up by the ministry of water resources and provided a detailed brief on the southern rivers also stating that there was no need to rewrite geography of the peninsula rivers as there was “no imperative necessity for such massive water transfer”.
Union minister for environment and forests Jairam Ramesh recently took the stand that the Ken-Betwa river linking project should be abandoned as it could spell disaster from the ecological point of view but the Madhya Pradesh minister for agriculture Ramkrishna Kusmaria thinks otherwise.
After being caught in bureaucratic red tape and disputes between States for nearly 30 years, the ambitious River Inter-Linking Project may soon become a reality with a link between Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh ready for launch in the next three years.
In the next three years, the Ken-Betwa river link between the two States may become the first river inter-linking project of the country.
The Ministry of Water Resources (MoWR) said that Inter-linking of river can be taken up as a national project. The Minister, however, clarified that no river-interlinking project under National Perspective Plan (NPP) is currently under implementation and the Project depended on the consensus and cooperation of the States and agreements with neighbouring countries.
The programme of Interlinking of Rivers (ILR) in India has been one of the most ambitious ideas ever, of any government till date. It is an idea that has conjured up visions for the common Indian
"Rainfall and floods are annual features in many parts of the country. Instead of thinking on interlinking of rivers only during flood and drought, it's time we implement this programme with a great sense of urgency. We need to make an effort to overcome various hurdles in our way to the implementation of this major project. I feel it has the promise of freeing the country from the endless cycle of floods and droughts.'
