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Better coordination required for flood management: Patil

NEW DELHI: Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil has stressed on the need for better coordination between the Centre and the States for flood management. The Centre and the States have to share the responsibility for overcoming this annual phenomenon instead of adopting a confrontationist attitude, he said.

Replying to a debate on the situation arising out of floods in the country, Mr. Patil said a clear understanding of the responsibilities of the States and the Central Government would go a long way in overcoming the problem.

Spelling out the measures taken by the Government in dealing with natural calamities, the Minister said the Natural Disaster Management Act had been enacted for the purpose of making policies and framing rules to deal with calamities. While the Natural Disaster Management Authority as envisaged in the legislation, had been set up, most of the States were yet to set up such authorities.

Earlier intervening in the discussion, Union Water Resources Minister, Saifuddin Soz said his Ministry was in the process of setting up a National Flood Management Commission that would examine the country’s needs for drainage, construction of embankments and any other measure required to handle floods.

The proposal to this effect has already been circulated among the other Ministries concerned and would be placed before the Cabinet shortly.

The Commission would provide powers to the Centre to intervene as and when required. The Commission would generate a situation of hope for the entire country, he added.

On the interlinking of rivers, Mr. Soz said that it was high on the Government’s agenda and much progress had been made on the five links with the Detailed Project Report of Ken-Betwa linking being prepared. Interlinking of rivers is receiving attention and some day it will happen, the Minister said on an optimistic note.

He said talks were also on with Nepal, Bhutan and some other neighbouring countries for construction of dams that could prevent flooding in India and help in power generation also.

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