Complete Godavari-Cauvery-Gundar Project: CM Vijay

In a letter to Modi on Wednesday, the Chief Minister said the link represented the most significant long term opportunity for augmenting Tamil Nadu’s surface water resources and was of vital importance to redress the growing water needs of the State.

The groundwater resources had been exploited to critical levels with several regions continuing to experience over exploitation despite the sustained regulatory and conservation measures undertaken by the State Government, Vijay said.

Since southern districts like Pudukkottai, Sivagangai, Ramanathapuram and Virudhunagar faced chronic water scarcity and were highly drought-prone, the most sustainable means of addressing the growing water requirements would be the implementation of the Godavari– Cauvery–Vaigai–Gundar Link Project, he said.

The project would facilitate the transfer of surplus floodwaters from water-surplus basins to water-deficit regions, he said, adding that the National Water Development Agency (NWDA) had prepared the Detailed Project Report (DPR) for the Godavari–Pennar–Palar–Vellar Link as Phase I of the larger project.

While that component was envisaged to benefit Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, the alignment covered by the DPR presently terminated a few kilometers upstream of the Cauvery River, he said.

Requesting that the inter-linking of the rivers be treated as a project of national importance and taken up on priority basis, he said its implementation could iron out differences between States through constructive consultation and cooperative federalism.

So,considering the strategic importance and far-reaching socio-economic benefits, the link project should be taken up on a fast-track basis and given the status of a “project of national importance,” he said.

The constitution of a dedicated Special Purpose Vehicle, with the participation of the Government of India and the beneficiary States, might also be considered to facilitate coordinated implementation, assured funding and timely completion, he said.

Its early execution would benefit the people and farming communities of Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka and the Tamil Nadu government remained fully committed to extending all necessary cooperation for its expeditious and successful implementation, he said.

Vijay requested Modi to direct the Ministry of Jal Shakti and the NWDA to expedite consultations with the stakeholder States and facilitate an early consensus on the outstanding issues.

He also wanted the finalisation of the DPR for extending the link up to the Kattalai Barrage across the river Cauvery and the Prime Minister’s personal intervention to achieve long-term water security for the water deficit regions of southern India and advancing the national objective of equitable and sustainable utilisation of precious water resources.