Centre to soon take up linking of Godavari and Cauvery: Nitin Gadkari

Centre would soon take up a major project to link rivers Godavari and Cauvery that would resolve water issues between four sourn states, Union Water Resources Minister Nitin Gkari anunced in Amravati on Monday, January 21. 

objective of project, expected to cost up to Rs 60,000 crore, was to make good use of about 1100 tmc ft of Godavari water that currently drained into sea, he said, dressing a meeting of BJP workers. 

" detailed project report for linking rivers Godavari-Krishna-Pennar-Cauvery is rey. We will soon present it to Cabinet for approval. reafter, we will raise finances for project eir from World Bank or Asian Development Bank as project cost is about Rs 50,000 crore to Rs 60,000 crore," Gkari said.

Godavari water would thus be taken to tail end of Tamil Nu, he said.

"Every year, about 1,100 tmc ft of Godavari water is going waste into Bay of Bengal while re is a dispute between Tamil Nu and Karnataka... So we have taken decision to take Godavari water to Tamil Nu and that will resolve all water issues among four states," Gkari ted.

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A special techlogy, suggested by a US-based AP engineer, of using steel pipes would be used for linking Godavari and Cauvery.

"We have decided t to use canals as it results in water (evaporation) losses. Low thickness steel pipes with a special treatment will be used that will also save project cost significantly," Union Minister said.

Tamil Nu and Karnataka are locked in a dispute over sharing of Cauvery river water for deces. Gkari reiterated that Centre would spend "100 percent" cost of ongoing Polavaram multipurpose project.

"We have given a lot of priority to Polavaram and never discriminated against AP. With cooperation of state government and 100 percent Central funding, we are implementing project in an expeditious manner," he said.

Gkari, however, regretted that Chandrababu Naidu government was t giving any credit to Prime Minister Narendra Modi or Central government for such efforts