River-linking: Uma takes up green nod issue with Javadekar

Union Water  Resources Minister Uma Bharti has taken up the issue of obtaining green clearances for the ambitious Ken-Betwa river-linking project with Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar and is hopeful of getting the necessary approvals soon, the Water Resources Ministry said on Monday.

Work on the project, considered as the first effort of linking rivers from two states, was expected to begin earlier this year, but has been delayed due to pending forest, wildlife and other environment clearances.

Bharti made a statement in this regard during the eighth meeting of special committee on inter-linking of rivers (ILR) on Monday. “(During the meeting), the Minister informed that various clearances in respect of Ken-Betwa link project Phase-I are in the advanced stage of processing. Bharti said she has spoken to the Union Environment Minister in this regard and is hopeful of getting the necessary clearances soon,” the Ministry said.

Terming ILR programme as “very important” for enhancing the country’s water and food security, Bharti said the NDA government’s is committed to its implementation with “consensus” and “co-operation” of the states concerned. 

On the status of Par-Tapi-Narmada link project, she said a detailed project report (DPR) of the same was submitted to the Gujarat and Maharashtra governments in August 2015 and their views are awaited.

Bharti said the issue of water-sharing between the two states in respect to Damanganga-Pinjal and Par-Tapi-Narmada link projects is being taken up on “priority”.  She said an officer-level meeting would be held with bureaucrats from both the states. “After this, I will hold a meeting with the Chief Minister of both the states on the issue. I hope we would be able to reach an agreement on water sharing in the two projects with the cooperation of both the states at an early date,” Bharti said.