Taking a cue from the Tamil Nadu Road Development Corporation (TNRDC), the State government is putting in place an exclusive body to handle water sector projects.
The Public Works Department is taking steps to get the entity — the Tamil Nadu Water Resources Conservation and Rivers Restoration Corporation (TNWRCRRC) — registered shortly, a senior official said. About a year ago, the government issued an order, stating its decision to establish the entity.
K. Satyagopal, a seasoned IAS officer who retired as Additional Chief Secretary and Commissioner of Revenue Administration in September, has been appointed Chairman and Managing Director of the proposed body. His “passion” for the water sector has got him the job and this is why Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami has chosen him, observed another official.
Apart from formulation of projects, the TNWRCRRC will scout funding for such projects. There is a limit to which the State government can take loans. It is where the new body will step in and seek funds even from agencies such as Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) or KfW of Germany (which funds development projects) or multilateral bodies. Besides, it can obtain funds from organisations such as the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD).
The State government has also asked Dr. Satyagopal to monitor the execution of works under the ‘kudimaramathu’ (people’s maintenance of irrigation structures) scheme, apart from coordinating closely with the Water Resources Development cell in the PWD.
Asked whether there is any scope for new irrigation projects in the State given the general position that the potential for surface water has been harnessed fully, Dr. Satyagopal replied in the affirmative. Explaining that “there is a perception [that the State has exhausted the avenue for projects based on surface water resources], he says that “my job is not just to identify surface water projects but also sub-surface and groundwater aquifer projects.”
There will also be a “tilt” towards looking for drinking water projects for Chennai and other cities of the State, he adds.
Would the new body be involved in the implementation of projects? “As of now, it is too early to say,” Dr. Satyagopal responds.
Citing the example of the working relationship between the TNRDC and the State Highways Department, another official says the experience shows two agencies can “work together” besides complementing and supplementing each other’s work.
