None of river linking projects at implementation stage: Parliamentary panel

None of the river linking projects in the country have reached the implementation stage and only symbolic budgetary allocations have been made for them, a Parliamentary committee has told the Ministry of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation.

The committee has said there needs to be better cooperation among states in a time-bound manner for the linking of rivers.

In a recent report presented in the Lok Sabha, the Standing Committee on Water Resources said: "Fund allocations will be made when the implementation of river linking projects begins."

According to the committee's report, 14 pre-feasibility reports for rivers in the Himalayan system have been prepared.

Similarly, two feasibility reports and seven draft feasibility reports have been prepared for river linking.

Meanwhile, the Water Resources Ministry has said: "None of the river linking projects have reached the implementation stage. The ministry has asked the concerned states to coordinate towards the linking of Betwa, Daman Ganga, Pinjal, Par Tapi Narmada, Godavari and Kaveri rivers.