The newly constituted Central task force on interlinking of rivers will focus on delivery of relief and rehabilitation (R&R) measures even before the links are implemented, and will launch a special purpose vehicle for this purpose if need be, expert member of the task force and advisor in the Union Ministry of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation Vedire Sriram informed.
At a media conference on Monday, Mr. Sriram admitted that there is not one instance in the country where the R&R package is implemented successfully, and cited a few multipurpose projects including Maneru dam, Bhakra-Nangal, and Sardar Sarovar dam as examples.
To ensure that the displaced are compensated, rehabilitation will be given precedence over implementation of the project, he said. The issue, among others, will be discussed threadbare in the first ever meeting of the task force at Delhi on April 22.
Mr. Sriram said the allocated shares of each State from the river waters will remain untouched and only surplus water will be allocated afresh. Some alterations are in the offing to the list of 30 links identified by the earlier Suresh Prabhu task force, based on the changes in water allocations during the last 12 years.
The task force had then identified 14 Himalayan links, 16 peninsular links, and estimated potential for 10 crore acres of new ayacut, 34,000MW hydro power production with Rs. 4.5 lakh crore of project cost. All these are set to be modified based on fresh estimates.
In all, feasibility reports are ready for 16 links, of which detailed project reports (DPRs) are prepared for six. Works on three links, namely Ken-Betwa, Damanganga-Pinjal and Par-Tapi-Narmada have already begun.
The taskforce was constituted a week ago under the chairmanship of B.N. Navalawala, and comprises experts and senior officials as its members.
