MAHANADI-GODAVARI

According to the NWDA, the Mahanadi and Godavari river basins are both water surplus and the combined surpluses of these basins after meeting their own needs can be diverted to meet the water requirements of deficit basins in the south, up to river Gundar through the Mahanadi-Godavari-KrishnaPennar-Cauvery-Vaigai-Gundar linkages (9-link system).

This link is also considered the “mother link” to many Peninsular rivers that face acute shortage of water. But Orissa, which has to part with much of its water, is still not on board for this project. Masood Husain said: “We are in consultation with the Orissa government and Uma Bharti (Minister for Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation) has also met Orissa Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik. So we are hopeful that this project could soon be a success.” For the other two priority projects, Damanganga-Pinjal and ParTapi-Narmada, an MoU had been signed in 2010 between the Chief Ministers of Gujarat, Maharashtra and the then Union Minister for Water Resources. The DPRs of both these projects have been completed and submitted to the government of Gujarat and Maharashtra by the NWDA. Efforts are being made by the NWDA to arrive at a consensus on the ParbatiKalisindh-Chambal link through deliberations with the states concerned, that is, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan. According to sources, the Damanganga-Pinjal inter-linking project could start by this year-end.