By Bizodisha Bureau, Bhubaneswar, February 3, 2016 : Union Minister of Water Resource, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation Uma Bharti once again reiterated that linking of rivers Mahanadi and Godavari would be a win-win situation for both Odisha and Andhra Pradesh.

Bharati on Wednesday met Odisha chief minister, Naveen Patnaik and told his that the rive linking project would be of maximum benefit to river Rushikulya.

“Large number of irrigation projects need to come up in districts along Rushikulya river. We are not going to go ahead on these projects till there is consensus between the state governments. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has given me a piece of advice on projects pertaining inter-linking of rivers. I will cent percent adhere to it. We will discuss it with the state governments. One thing I can say is out of the total rainfall received in India 12% of it is alone received in Odisha but then it plays havoc in the state. While one part of the state gets affected with floods, the other part suffers from drought,” the union minister later told reporters on the sidelines of her meeting with chief minister.

However, she washed her hands of the Polavaram project controversy, terming it as an ‘inter-state issue’ and stating that Centre would not interfere in the matter. “Odisha and Andhra Pradesh governments should settle this issue mutually. Andhra government has informed me that it will settle this issue. This is an issue coming under the state subject. Both the governments should sit across the table and settle it among themselves. I understand the Centre should not act as a mediator in every issue,” said Bharti briefing reporters at a press meet at Burla near here today.

Meanwhile, the Odisha government on Wednesday said, a response on the Centre’s ambitious river interlinking proposal to connect Rushikulya and Mahanadi rivers to which the State raised objections on certain grounds, is expected by March end.

Chief Engineer of Water Resources department Janaki Mohapatra said, “The ball is in Centre’s court now. Last year when officials of Union Water Resources Ministry and National Water Development Agency (NWDA), functioning under the Ministry convened a meeting in this regard (river linking project), we had put before them our observations. They have not responded yet and we got to know that the report will most likely reach us by end of March.”

Officials of the Ministry during a presentation to the State government in July last year had stated that anywhere between five and six lakh acres of land would get water for irrigation if the interlinking of rivers takes place.

Linking of these rivers is also part of the greater river- linking proposal ‘Mahanadi-Godavari Networking Scheme’, officials added.
NWDA had identified 30 inter-state river links in mid 1980s. Of these, feasibility reports for 16 links have been completed, while four projects are in the pipeline for execution.
The Union Minister told reporters that during her meeting with Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik in the evening she would propose for inter-linking of river Mahanadi with river Godavari. She said inter-linking of Mahanadi with Godavari will be of benefit to Odisha.