River inter-linking: CWC team in Odisha

Bhubaneswar: A team of union water resources department today held discussions with chief minister Naveen Patnaik regarding the interlinking of Mahanadi river with Godavari.

According to sources, the team comprising union water resource deputy secretary Amarjeet singh, union water commission chairman A.V. Pandia and national water development agency DG Masud Husen met Patnaik at the secretariat.

However, the discussion went in vain as the State government did not show its interest towards the interlinking project, sources added.

Notably, the Centre has prepared the project under interlinking of rivers across the country to take the remaining water of Himalayan region to Peninsular basin via Mahanadi. Under the project, the water from the Himalayan basin will pass through Ganga river, then it will take the route of Baitarani, Bramhani and Mahanari river to enter Rusikulya, Godabari Krishna and Kaveri river.

During its journey through Odisha, the water will be blocked near Manibhadra in Nayagarh by constructing a dam. An 827 km long canal will be built in Nayagarh district via which the water will reach Peninsular basin taking the route of Nayagarh, Khurda, Ganjam and Gajapati in Odisha and Srikakulam, Vijayanagaram and Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh.