The Hindu : National : River grid: Centre asked to file status report

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Saturday, Apr 08, 2006

National

National

River grid: Centre asked to file status report

Legal Correspondent

NEW DELHI : The Supreme Court on Friday asked the Centre to file a status report up to July 31 in the second week of August on the inter-linking of rivers.

A Bench of Chief Justice Y.K. Sabharwal and Justice C.K. Thakker passed the order after hearing Solicitor-General G.E. Vahanvati for the Centre and Ranjit Kumar, amicus curiae in the case.

Mr. Vahanvati submitted that feasibility reports in respect of 14 peninsular rivers was completed and put on the website. But the reports in relation to two Himalayan rivers, which emanate from Nepal, were not ready as the matter had to be discussed with the Nepal Government before finalising the report. In respect of certain links, detailed project reports would be ready in two to three years.

Mr. Ranjit Kumar submitted that the Government submitted a bar chart in 2003 in which it was stated that the DPRs would be ready by 2005 but now it was stated that it would take about three years.

The Bench then asked the Government to complete the DPRs expeditiously and to consider including in the committee environmental experts.

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