Hyderabad: The Centre has identified eight potential river linking projects in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, Union Minister of State for Jal Shakti Rajbhushan Choudhary told the Lok Sabha on Thursday. Responding to a question from MP Kaushalendra Kumar, the minister outlined the current status of interlinking efforts across the country.
Choudhary said interlinking rivers such as Krishna, Godavari, and Penna could benefit Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Odisha, Tamil Nadu, and Puducherry. The National Perspective Plan (NPP) has been prepared to guide the river linking programme, and the National Water Development Agency (NWDA) has been tasked with its implementation.
A total of 30 interlinking projects have been identified nationally, of which 11 have detailed project reports (DPRs) and the rest have completed feasibility studies. The objective is to transfer surplus water from flood-prone basins to deficit areas, thereby mitigating drought and flood impacts.
The Centre will provide technical guidelines and financial support for flood management in complex terrains, the minister said. He added that due to pending consensus on the Manibhadra and Inchampalli dam projects, alternate studies have been conducted for the diversion of Godavari waters.a