Thursday, July 10, 2008

Prof. Soz Stresses on Better Management of Water Resources to Achieve Food Security 24th ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING OF NWDA HELD

Prof. Saifuddin Soz, the Union Minister for Water Resources presided over the 24th Annual General Meeting of National Water Development Agency (NWDA) here today. NWDA is a Society under the Ministry of Water Resources, which carries out the studies for Inter Basin Water Transfer proposals in the country. 

Addressing on the occasion, Prof. Soz said that this Government is committed to remove the anomaly of regional imbalance in availability of water in the country to the extent possible; and to expand our irrigational potential at an accelerated rate to make India self sufficient in food-grain production for years to come through a broad understanding and consensus for tackling various water related problems. 

Prof. Soz stressed on the better management of the water resources to achieve the food security and also stressed the need to create awareness in the minds of the people for water conservation and rain water harvesting. He said that the Detailed Project Report (DPR) of Ken – Betwa Link is likely to be completed by the end of this year. He thanked the Governments of Maharashtra and Gujarat for conveying their concurrence for signing of MOU for Par – Tapi – Narmada and Damanganga – Pinjal links in the western India and informed that the MOU will be signed soon for preparation of Detailed Project Reports of both these links. Prof. Soz expressed his hope for reaching consensus on MOU for Parbati – Kalisindh – Chambal link. 

Shri Jay Prakash Narayan Yadav, the Minister of State for Water Resources informed that so far 13 States / Union Territories have responded to the request of NWDA for studies of Intra – state link proposals. He also out lined consensus building process for moving forward on Interlinking of Rivers Programme as per the National Common Minimum Programme of the present Government. 

Later, various Agenda items pertaining to progress of works and status of studies, efforts made by NWDA for arriving at consensus among the concerned states etc. were taken up and discussed in the meeting. 

Shri P.Lakshmaiah, the Minister (Irrigation), Govt. of Andhra Pradesh, Shri N.Sarkar, the Minister (Irrigation), Govt. of Assam, Capt. A.S.Yadav, the Minister (Irrigation), Govt. of Haryana, Shri N.K.Premchandran, the Minister (WR), Govt. of Kerala and Thiru Duraimurugan, the Minister (Public Works & Law), Govt. of Tamilnadu were also present. 

Shri U.N Panjiar, Secretary (WR), Shri S. Manoharan, Additional Secretary (WR), Shri A. K. Bajaj, Chairman, CWC, Shri B. M. Jha, Chairman, CGWB and officers of IMD, CEA, MOEF, Planning Commission and Principal Secretaries and other representatives of various States also participated in the meeting..

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