CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu BJP chief Nainar Nagendran on Saturday said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent appeal on river interlinking should be viewed as a strategic effort to bolster the nation's water resources.
Tamil Nadu and all other states must give top priority to river interlinking and water management reforms, he said.
PM Modi has asked states to resolve inter-state water disputes through cooperation, timely clearances and technology-based monitoring, and said the Ken-Betwa project should serve as a model.
According to the Centre, the Ken-Betwa project is expected to irrigate 10.62 lakh hectares of land (8.11 lakh ha in Madhya Pradesh and 2.51 lakh ha in Uttar Pradesh), provide drinking water to around 62 lakh people and generate 103 megawatts of hydropower and 27 megawatts of solar power.
"For decades, Tamil Nadu has faced a water crisis. Within the state, the Tamirabarani remains one of the few rivers that flows year-round and many other rivers, including the Cauvrey, rely heavily on favourable flows from neighbouring states and seasonal rains. Yet, Tamil Nadu ranks among the least endowed states in the country in terms of available water," Nagendran said.
"If left unaddressed, prolonged scarcity could transform once-fertile tracts into degraded landscapes, jeopardising agriculture, livelihoods and urban water security", he added.
The prime minister is pushing forward measures intended to provide Tamil Nadu with a more reliable water base.
"River interlinking must be carried out responsibly with careful planning, environmental safeguards, equitable water sharing arrangements and the participation of affected communities," Nagendran said.
"If river interlinking is designed and implemented transparently, it can be an important component of a broader strategy that includes groundwater recharge, efficient irrigation, rainwater harvesting, watershed restoration and improving urban water infrastructure," he said.