TN Govt plans to link rivers: Minister

Kanniyakumari,Tamil Nadu, Jun 7 (UNI) State PWD Minister Durai Murugan today said the government had drawn up a Rs 563-crore plan to interlink rivers in the State.

Speaking to reporters here, Mr Durai Murugan said the surplus water in River Thamirabarani at Tirunelveli District will be taken to ML Therivarai via Radhapuram and Sathankulam. The project is expected to cost Rs 400 crore.

The government also planned to prevent the water of River Cauvery going waste into the sea.

Under a scheme expected to cost Rs 169 crore,the water from the river will be taken via Ramanathapuram, Pudukottai and diverted to Kundatru.

Similarly, surplus water from channels in Sattanur and Seyyaru will be harnessed for irrigation under another scheme.

The Minister said the national river interlinking scheme was with the Central Government. However, within the state, the government proposed to take up its own schemes for interlinking rivers to harness and prevent wastage of water resources.

To a question, Mr Durai Murugan said the Hogennakal Drinking Water Project was under implementation and there was no need to ask Karnataka its permission.

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