The Union Minister for Road Transport, Highways and Water Resources, Mr Nitin Gadkari, has said that the government will make interlinking of rivers a reality. This would fulfil the water needs of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.
Soon after laying the foundation stones for five National Highway improvement works of the state Public Works Department covering a length of 177 km with an estimated cost of Rs1,500 crore, Mr Gadkari also dedicated to the nation 145 km of the four-lane National Highway stretch that connected North Karnataka with Telangana which was built at a cost of Rs 1,544.18 crore.
“Interlinking of rivers helps harvest rainwater effectively and provides a solution to our water scarcity woes. Our government is committed to water conservation and resolving inter-state water disputes,” he said.
On the proposed Godavari-Krishna-Cauvery linking, the Minister said that around 3,000 tmc of water from the Godavari that would flow into the sea during the monsoon could be utilised if the rivers were linked.
“The plan is to link the rivers so as to facilitate the diversion of flood waters from the Godavari to Krishna to Pennar and to Cauvery. Initially, about 300 tmc of water would be diverted from the Godavari to the Polavaram project in Andhra Pradesh through the Nagarjuna Sagar dam and then to the Krishna. Further, the water would be diverted to the Somasila dam on the Pennar, and thereon to the Grand Anicut dam on the Cauvery. The project will help Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Karnataka,” he added.
