Water ministry demands more say, outlay trebled

MANAGING THE DELUGE

The Centre's role in flood control in the 10th Plan was limited to allocating Rs 600 crore for various schemes. Besides, Rs 5,000 crore was given to states as part of state plans.

The water resources ministry is keen for more say and has demanded a total allocation of Rs 18,000 crore in the 11th Plan, saying floods are a national problem and call for a much bigger intervention from the Centre.

It has proposed doubling the allocation for state plans from Rs 5,000 crore to Rs 10,000 crore and increasing the amount for other schemes to Rs 8,000 crore.

The proposal includes a national scheme for flood prevention and management with broad terms and conditions on which money will be given to states. This assistance would aim at flood management works like building embankments along rivers, anti-erosion works, and creating and improving important drainage systems.

Also in the pipeline is a national flood control commission to handle the funds after vetting the proposals from states with the help of technical experts in the Central Water Commission and the advisory committee of the water resources ministry in the Planning Commission. The proposal is doing the rounds of various ministries and will have to be approved by the Cabinet.

The proposals are backed by the argument that floods are affecting more states every year. Ministry sources say in the last five years, floods have hit the earlier safe states like Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and Rajasthan.

While the total area affected by floods was estimated at 45 million hectares a few decades ago, the 10th Plan was able to take into account and provide funds for only around 18 million hectares. Now, the coverage is believed to have nearly doubled.

Ministry officials feel that even if water remains a state subject, dependence on the Centre for funds will provide the latter a lever to push through the necessary action to prevent and manage floods.

Tomorrow: Task force reports washed away in floods