Hyderabad: Interlinking of rivers will pave way for bigger crisis

Hyderabad: The Waterman of India, Rajendra Singh, strongly opposed the Union government's proposal of linking of rivers in the country and earmarked allocations in the 2022-2023 budget outlay recently.

Addressing the press here on Tuesday Singh said that interlinking of rivers is not good for the country and warned of constitutional, cultural, ecological and economic crisis.

"The Centre's proposed river linking will also lead to huge corruption in the country," he said, adding that no chief minister in the country was ready to give water to other States until the water needs of the respective State is met. Currently, all the states were making efforts to utilise the available water at optimum level and no State was ready to give up its rights on the water resources, he said, suggesting the community-driven decentralised water management in the place river linking for the sustainability of water bodies.

Rajendra Singh also opposed the Central gazette notification, which delegated powers to the Krishna River Management Board and Godavari River Management Board in the maintenance of irrigation projects in two Telugu states of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. State governments have been given freedom to manage the projects and the Centre's role is against the federal spirit, he opined.

Stating that a two-day national convention on rivers would be organised in Hyderabad from February 26, he said that river manifesto would be finalised in the meeting to be attended by water experts and officials.

The status of 13 rivers, including Krishna and Godavari, would be discussed in the meeting. Telangana Water Resources Development Corporation chairman V Prakash Rao and Telangana Retired Engineers Association leader Shyamprasad Reddy were present.