The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : Set up river basin organisation: expert

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, May 16, 2004

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Set up river basin organisation: expert

By Our Staff Reporter

The former Chairman of the Central Water Commission, N.K. Sharma (right), discussing a point with the former Union Secretary, M.S. Reddy, at a seminar in Visakhapatnam on Saturday. The Chairman, Visakhapatnam Port Trust, K.R. Kishore, is also seen.

VISAKHAPATNAM, MAY 15. There is an urgent need for a paradigm shift in the institutional mechanism to administer water and land optimally and equitably for sustained benefits, according to the former Union Secretary of Water Resources and member of the Central Water Commission (CWC), M.S. Reddy.

In his key-note address on `Water management for sustainable development: role of governance' at a seminar held on the occasion of the 202nd birth anniversary of Sir Arthur Cotton here on Saturday, Dr. Reddy said water resources management in the State was beset with archaic institutional mechanism.

He felt that the present institutional mechanism lacked capacity to appreciate the natural hydrologic cycle and basin characteristics which controlled water-related activities. Hence, there was a need for a drastic institutional restructuring to administer water. In this way creating river basin organisation (RBO) was the most logical step.

River basins in the State which were well delineated in the cases of the Godavari, the Krishna and the Pennar were ideal for setting up RBOs. The RBOs would help assess resources, estimate the needs based on projections and prepare a basin water and land management plan. The Water Resources Commission could provide technical back-up to the RBOs.

The RBOs must be outside the purview of the Irrigation Department, he said and added that they would also expedite inter-linking of rivers. Dr. Reddy wanted formation of a water resources council, headed by the Chief Minister, and be invested with the responsibility of the State's water resources development and management policy.

The Chairman of the Visakhapatnam Port Trust, K. Ratna Kishore, who inaugurated the seminar, praised civil engineers. Referring to Sir Cotton's qualities, he said that one must have aptitude, knowledge and innate qualities to turn out great structures like Dowleiswaram and Krishna barrages. He said a dam across the Godavari could be constructed only after dams were constructed at Mahadevpur and Eturunagaram.

A former Chief Engineer of the VPT, T.V. Ramana Rao, who is also chairman of the local chapter of the Association of Consulting Civil Engineers (ACCE), said the real joy of a civil engineer was watching water reaching the parched lands through an irrigation structure planned by him or her was completed. He praised Sir Cotton and said the clay used by him for the wells in Dowleiswaram did not allow even a drop of water to leak.

The CE of VPT and chairman of the local chapter of the Indian Concrete Institute (ICI), Sripada V.L.N. Sastry, presided. The former Chairman of the CWC, N.K. Sharma, was present.

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