Interlinking of rivers: Govt forms Task Force to bring states

Seeking to overcome the hurdles in interlinking of rivers, the Centre today constituted a 'Task Force' to work on forging consensus among different states for speedy implementation of the NDA government's ambitious project.
The Union Water Resources Ministry's decision came in the backdrop of opposition from a couple of states over interlinking of rivers.
A statement here said that the Task Force would be chaired by B N Navalawala and take up all issues for expediting the work on interlinking of rivers in the country.
Apart from examining the existing links that are laid out as per the National Perspective Plan under both Himalayan and Peninsular components, the Task Force would also consider alternative plans in place of infeasible links in the present plan, the release added.

The panel would facilitate interlinking of intra-state and intra-basin rivers also along with that of inter-state and inter-basin links.
It would recommend time schedules for completion of feasibility studies and DPRs of all the links, implementation schedule of all the links and also suggest on various means of funding mechanisms for the interlinking of rivers project, the statement added.
The Task Force would also provide guidance on norms of appraisal of individual projects in respect of economic viability, socio-economic, environmental impacts and preparation of resettlement plans. It would also device suitable mechanisms for bringing about speedy consensus among the states and also propose suitable organisational structure for implementing the interlinking of rivers, the release said.

The Task Force would also try to forge a consensus among the states in order to take forward the speedy implementation of the project.