Linking rivers in western India

New Delhi, July 9 : Presiding over the 24th annual general meeting of National Water Development Agency, Water Resources Minister Prof. Saifuddin Soz today promised the Government's commitment to remove the anomaly of regional imbalance in availability of water in the country to the extent possible.

He also said that the Government would expand irrigational potential at an accelerated rate to make India self sufficient in food-grain production for years to come through a broad understanding and consensus for tackling various water related problems.

He stressed on the better management of the water resources to achieve the food security and also stressed the need to create awareness in the minds of the people for water conservation and rainwater harvesting.

The Detailed Project Report (DPR) of Ken - Betwa Link is likely to be completed by the end of this year, he said thanking the state Governments of Maharashtra and Gujarat for conveying their concurrence for signing of MOU for Par - Tapi - Narmada and Damanganga - Pinjal links in the western India and informed that the MOU will be signed soon for preparation of Detailed Project Reports of both these links.

Minister of State for Water Resources Jay Prakash Narayan Yadav said that so far 13 States / Union Territories have responded to the request of NWDA for studies of Intra - state link proposals.

He also outlined consensus building process for moving forward on Interlinking of Rivers Programme as per the National Common Minimum Programme of the present Government.

NWDA is a Society under the Ministry of Water Resources, which carries out the studies for Inter Basin Water Transfer proposals in the country.

ANI