(FE)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led Centre is all set to start work on an estimated $87 billion plan to connect some of the biggest rivers of the country within a month time, Reuters reported today. Government believes the ambitious plan would end the annual havoc created by droughts and floods in many parts of the country. This year itself, over 1000 people have lost their lives in floods in eastern as well as western parts of India. According to Reuters, Modi’s big plan involves linking of around 60 rivers across India, including the mighty Ganges. This is expected to help end farmers’ dependence on fickle monsoon rains, bringing millions of hectares of cultivable land under irrigation.
The river-linking plan was first proposed Atal Bihari vajpayee-led NDA government at the Centre in 2002. Works couldn’t be carried out so far as states failed to end differences over water sharing contracts and clearances were stalled by the lazy bureaucracy. The news agency reported that PM Modi has personally pushed through clearances for the first phase of the project, which would also help generate thousands of megawatts of electricity.
