'Centre in favour of linking north-south rivers'

By Our Staff Reporter

COIMBATORE, SEPT. 20. Drought conditions prevailing in some States including Karnataka, Gujarat, Bihar and Rajasthan has brought down the annual per capita water availability from 1800 to 1000 cubic metres in the Cauvery and Sabarmathi basins, the Commissioner (Policy and Planning), Union Water Resources Ministry, Mr. A.C. Thyagi, said. ``But the situation is not this bad in the rest of the country.''

Mr. Thyagi, who was here to attend a conference on fresh water on Wednesday, told presspersons that as a solution to this, the Centre had always been in favour of linking the northern and southern rivers. ``But it is up to the States to respond''.

The Centre was in no position to force as water was a State subject. Even in the riparian or inter-State river basin disputes, the Centre intervened only when the States approached it.

Some States like Bihar experienced a ``double- phenomenon'' like floods in one part and drought elsewhere. Considering these conditions the National Water Development Agency had examined some measures and a feasibility study was on. But a solution would ultimately emerge only if the States agreed. Mr. Thyagi denied that a number of projects ended up in courts.

Though there were any number of water projects, disputes had arisen only in five. ``Some of the disputes arose as parties agreed only on sharing water but not scarcity.''

In this year's budget, Rs.2,000 crores was earmarked for water resources projects. About Rs.600 to 700 crores were also being funded by overseas agencies through the Centre.

The Central Water Commission was monitoring the implementation to ensure that there was no diversion of funds.

Mr. Thyagi said since 67 per cent of the agriculture in the country depended on groundwater sources and only 33 per cent on surface irrigation. Therefore more groundwater resources should be developed.

Water sources offered extra benefit in the form of hydro electricity.

However, some sections were campaigning against hydro projects to promote the interests of overseas players and make India dependent on other countries for power generation, he alleged.

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Section  : Southern States
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