Document Fragment View

Matching Fragments

            The scheme of inter-linking of rivers which was considered and thought by Dr. K.L. Rao in the Seventies is in cold storage even today. Now, when the Committee on the inter-linking of rivers headed by Shri Suresh Prabhu gave a report saying that the project costs Rs. 5,60,000 crore, immediately it is dumped into a dustbin. By this figure of Rs. 5,60,000 crore, they think that they cannot do it at all and it is not feasible. Nobody goes deep into the matter whether it is feasible or not. How much are we spending by not linking the rivers of this country? Can we not avoid both drought and floods which are serious matters now?

I just want to give the details for inter-linking of rivers. If the consolidated amount of Rs. 5.6 lakh crore required for this project is mentioned, then every one of us will keep our mind hollow, and forget about it till such time a flood or drought hits us.

I would like to tell the hon. Members about the calculation for it, so that every one of us can take a pledge to put pressure on the Government to ensure that the inter-linking of rivers is started immediately. The total cost for it is Rs. 5.6 lakh crore for 35 million hectares. Does the House know about the cost incurred per hectare for inter-linking of rivers? It would be Rs. 60,000 per acre.

Everybody eloquently makes a statement, “Oh, there is a calamity, calamity, calamity!” If these were to be the ways to get things done, then no Minister or the Government could seriously look into the matter. I honestly request the entire House and my colleagues to take a pledge to take up inter-linking of rivers immediately without any loss of time. I can assure the entire House that it does not require a large amount of money.

DR. M. JAGANNATH (NAGAR KURNOOL): You tell this to the UPA Government.

            Sir, some parts of our country today are experiencing floods and some other parts are experiencing drought. We have plenty of water in India that is going as waste into the sea without any proper utilisation. The NDA Government thought of inter-linking the rivers of North India and South India. The rivers of North India receive water when the glaciers in the Himalayas start melting and therefore, it has a perennial source of water. This idea of inter-linking the rivers of North India and South India was mooted by the late visionary K.L.Rao a long time back. But for the reasons best known to the authorities, this was put in the cold storage. But when the NDA Government took over, the former Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh, Shri N. Chandrababu Naidu took a lot of interest in the matter and prevailed upon the then NDA Government to take some steps in this regard. The then Prime Minister, Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee constituted a Committee under the Chairmanship of Shri Suresh Prabhu to look into this aspect of inter-linking of rivers of North and South India. But for the reasons best known to the UPA Government, this has been put in the cold storage. Many of the Members of that Committee felt that through inter-linking of rivers floods could be controlled and also excess water could be used for irrigation of parched lands of low rainfed States and thereby the problem of drought could be tackled[snb48] .