The future of two hydel power plants is stalled in the wake of a stand off between two different NGOs contesting over its religious and developmental implications in the state.

Terming the State Government as most inefficient in view of the unabated ravages of flood and erosion at Matmora, Majuli and various other places, the All Assam Students' Union (AASU) today said it would burn effigies of Water Resources Minister Bharat Narah throughout the State on July 28. In a statement, the AASU said that Narah had indulged in unprecedented corruption, which was at the root of the failure of flood-control measures in the vulnerable areas like Matmora.

The Centre is monitoring the power concerns in Jammu region following

GUWAHATI, July 24

The Ministry of Water Resources has provided a Budget outlay of Rs 649 crore for

State Water Resources Minister Bharat Chandra Narah today told the Assembly that the State Government was far from satisfied with the explanations given by the power generating corporations such as NEEPCO and NHPC on the flood safeguards of hydel projects, and that the State Government would seek a thorough review of their downstream impact assessment reports.

"Punjab is one of those six states in the country which feels it is not necessary to enact legislation on control and development of groundwater resources,' said union water resources minister Saifuddin Soz. The other five states are Nagaland, Sikkim, Tripura, Mnipur and Arunachal Pradesh.

Incidentally, in neighbouring Haryana and Jammu and Kashmir, initiatives are being taken for enactment of the Model Bill circulated by the Centre while Chandigarh and Himachal Pradesh belong to the category that had already enacted and implemented the groundwater legislation.

DIBRUGARH

The Centre has announced that 4.455 million wells will be taken up for recharging groundwater in hard rock areas for the benefit of farmers. The government has asked the states government concern to take necessary steps to implement the decision before monsoon this year. The Artificial Recharge of Ground Water through wells scheme was launched keeping in view the concerns of over exploitation of groundwater resources in the country as well as to ensure sustainable water resource management and irrigation facilities in the affected areas.

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.