Centre in the process of declaring 'national rivers' : Soz

New Delhi, July 13 (UNI) The process of evolving 'scientific criteria' for declaring some rivers in the country as 'national rivers' is in final stage and will be reality in a month's time if approved by the Cabinet.

Union Water Resources Minister Saifuddin Soz was cagey about spelling out the details or the name of rivers or the states involved but confirmed that the process has been set in motion and that it would be handle in consultation with all the concerned riparian states.

He said if his thought process was accepted by the Cabinet, than it would change the quality of waters flowing in river like Yamuna.

The basis for declaring the national rivers seems to be to plan the projects and provide them with central funds and route it through the state governments which were starved of funds. The rivers will remain where they are and the water utilisation will be for the states and the Centre will be playing the role of water manager rather than dispensor when crisis decends on the area.

Treating the entire river basin as a unit without hurting the interests of any riparian state would certainly be one of the criteria.

Prof Soz denied the allegaitons that the UPa goverment had jettisoned the river linking projects. While preparing of the Detailed Project Report on Ken-Betwa was on, the MOU had been signed among the riparian states for Parbati-Kalisindh-Chambal link.

Three new projects which were now under the focus were Narmada-Partapi, Damanganga-Pingal and Godavari-Krishna links.

Prof Soz in his letters to Chief Ministers of States sought to draw their attention to the challenges in the water sector like declining per capita availability of water, deterioration in quality, over exploitation of ground water resources and cost and time overruns in the completion of irrigation and multi-purpose projects.

Climate Change was one issue the states should address and take up necessary studies on priority for implementing appropriate strategies.

UNI