‘No time frame for Cauvery Board’

‘No time frame for Cauvery Board’

Context:

Recently, Union Minister for Water Resources Nitin Gadkari was non-committal on a possible time frame for the constitution of the Cauvery Management Board (CMB), as mandated by the Supreme Court.

Details:

• He said that the panel has been in process
• However, he refused to be drawn into specifics when asked if the Centre had a time frame for establishing the CMB.

Pet projects:

The Centre has been keen on implementing two major projects:

1. Diverting water from the Godavari to the Cauvery– About 3,000 tmc ft of water in the Godavari was going to the sea and the aim was to save at least 700 tmc ft by diverting it to the Cauvery through two dams at a cost of about Rs. 1 lakh crore.
2. The Polavaram project, in its attempt to cater to the water needs of Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana

• The Detailed Project Reports (DPR) for both the projects would be prepared by next month and the suggestions from the Chief Ministers concerned would be taken.
• The Centre has also been looking at low-interest loans from lenders such as the Asian Development Bank