The NDA government has taken a "revolutionary" decision of constructing bridge-cum-barrages to increase the water level in rivers and facilitate irrigation and navigation in them, Union minister Nitin Gadkari said here today.
He said the government has identified three sites for such projects in Maharashtra and one bridge on the Yamuna near Agra to begin with.
The barrages underneath the road overbridges will hold water up to two-three metres and also have gates installed for navigation, the Union Road Transport and Highways Minister said.
"We discussed the projects with some experts from Maharashtra. We can hold water beneath the bridges up to 2.5-3 metres and there will also be a gate for navigation. We will work on the projects with the approval of the states. It is a revolutionary decision," Gadkari added.
He said this during the launch of 'Optimal Utilisation of Godavari Waters: National and Telangana Perspectives', a book authored by Sriram Vedire, Advisor to the Union Water Resources Ministry.
Union Water Resources Minister Uma Bharti and Labour Minister Bandaru Dattatreya were also present on the occasion.
Gadkari, however, did not mention the names of the sites in Maharashtra where these projects will be taken up.
"We will locate a site each in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. The projects will cost 10 per cent more than the total cost of the bridges. Our department will bear that," he added.
Gadkari pointed out that only 15-20 per cent of the rainwater received by India was conserved, while nearly 70 per cent flowed into the sea.
He said even if 20 per cent of the water flowing into the sea was conserved, it could help alleviate poverty as the additional water could change the economics of the backward areas and the population strain on big cities like Delhi and Mumbai could be addressed.
Gadkari added that he preferred such projects over larger dams which were costlier.
He reiterated that the NDA government had a plan to develop 111 rivers as "national waterways", adding that the work on 10 of them would commence this year.
Speaking at the event, Bharti said the work on the Ken-Betwa river-linking project will begin soon.
"Our ministry is working on the project and soon, the dream of linking the inter-state rivers will be realised...The project will address the water issue in the parched region of Bundelkhand. Once that is solved, it will also address the concern of farmers migration in the region," she added.
In his speech, Dattatreya urged the Centre to declare the Kaleshwaram dam in Telangana a national project.
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