NGO comes out with alternative plan on interlinking rivers

Chennai, Dec 24 (UNI) Water and Food Equitable Distribution Organisation (WEDO), a newly-formed NGO, today came out with an alternative plan of interlinking the rivers to overcome the acute shortage of water in the country.

Inaugurating WEDO here, Founder-Director N Seshadri Kumar claimed the interlinking project ''Indian River Grid'' (IRG), developed by WEDO, was an efficient one compared to the National Water Development Agency.

Elaborating about the IRG, he said according to new plan, rivers in the country had been split into three projects -- Northern waterway, Kashmir to Assam, followed by Vindhyan waters, girdling the Vindhyas and the Deccan waterway, in the Deccan plateau.

''All the three waterways would be interconnected so that water would flow continuously throughout the year. The IRG will cover a distance of 16,500 km and there is no need for pumping water from one canal to another,'' he claimed.

If implemented, the IRG could produce 65,000 MW from hydro-power plants in the country, he claimed.

Confederation of Indian Industries (CII) President R Seshasayee, said the country was facing acute shortage of drinking water.

''The 350-billion US dollars infrastructure plan being chalked out by the Centre does not have any allocation for water'', he added.

WEDO Director Rupchand said they had met President A P J Abdul Kalam last year and explained him about the project.

WEDO had sent a proposal to Chief Minister M Karunanidhi, he added.

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