The Hindu : Linking of rivers will boost economy: Prabhu

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Jan 18, 2004

Karnataka

Karnataka

Linking of rivers will boost economy: Prabhu

By Our Staff Correspondent

MANGALORE, JAN. 17. The most ambitious project ever taken up in the country — the interlinking of rivers — will help ensure overall development, but there are challenges ahead which will have to be tackled with the help of the people, the Chairman of the Task Force on Interlinking of Rivers, Suresh Prabhu, has said.

Delivering a special talk on the "River Interlinking Project" at a function to mark the anniversary of the Vishwa Saraswath Sammelan organised by the Srinivas Patashala here today, Mr. Prabhu stated that the Indian Institute of Management and top bankers of the country were working round the clock to arrive at a financial and managerial road map for the success of the project.

He said that the project should not be hindered for narrow gains or short-term ends as it was an opportunity for the overall prosperity of the country in terms of harnessing water resources, river navigation, permanent relief from flood and drought, generation of employment, revolution in agriculture, food security, fisheries, livestock development, fodder production, and generation of hydroelectric power. It would also put an end to inter-State river disputes.

The most important feature of the project would be the ability to produce environment-friendlyhydroelectric power to the extent of 40,000 MW a year, which was 75 per cent of the country's present requirement of power.

The country now produced about 80,000 MW of power a year, but 75 per cent of the power came from thermal plants which were highly polluting, he added.

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