Planning Commission deputy chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia made this proposal to Delhi chief minister Sheila Dikshit today, according to sources.
The Planning Commission will soon seek the Prime Minister's intervention and approach the Ministry of Environment and Forest (MoEF) for reviewing the proposal to construct the Renuka dam in Himachal Pradesh, a project, if implemented, would mitigate Delhi's water woes.
Planning Commission deputy chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia made this proposal to Delhi chief minister Sheila Dikshit today, according to sources.
Ahluwalia said that he will approach the Prime Minister to inform that water is the biggest issue facing Delhi and the Renuka dam can be a solution to the problem.
Ahluwalia and Dikshit had met today to finalise the annual Plan for Delhi for 2011-12 where the issue of water management and access to water in Delhi, the country's major urban centre, came up.
According to people privy to developments, the Plan panel is likely to request the MoEF to have a fresh look at the Rs3,600 crore project which would generate 40 MW of electricity for supply to Rajasthan, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi and Himachal Pradesh.
The MoEF had earlier refused to give clearance to the project, located in Himachal Pradesh, as it required felling of a "very large number" of trees. The project was earlier scheduled to be completed by mid 2015. The denial of clearance in October last year had come at a time when land acquisition work was almost over and Himachal Pradesh Power Corporation Limited (HPPCL) was in the final stage of inviting global tenders to implement the project.
The meeting today also saw the panel expressing deep concern over water management is Delhi. A total of 97 blocks in the national capital are said to be over-exploited of groundwater.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}