Pune: Will the interlinking of rivers mitigate drought and the effects of floods? Yes, says the Centre. Notwithstanding the debates on the merits and demerits of the plan, the Ministry of Water Resources wants to take forward the interlinking of rivers.
“Interlinking of rivers can play a major role in water management in the country,” the Ministry of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation told the Rajya Sabha in February. “The National Perspective Plan (NPP) for transferring water from water-surplus basins to water-deficit basins was prepared in August 1980.”
The Ministry added that the link projects under the NPP are designed to minimise water going to sea unutilised, and to mitigate the “effects of floods and droughts to some extent”.
Long-term plan
Many regions face severe drought routinely, and the States and the Centre try to tackle the situation with emergency plans. It seems that the only concrete long-term plan in place is that of interlinking of rivers.
Please click here to read more.