Centre wants 7 rivers to be national property

NEW DELHI: The problems faced by states as regards management of major rivers have spurred a move to designate some of them as national rivers for joint management and conservation of their water and ecology.

The need for designation of rivers was felt at a meeting of the upper Yamuna board in New Delhi when Haryana presented two bottles. One contained the river’s water before Yamuna enters Delhi and the second with water after it reenters Haryana. The difference in appearance was stark. The first bottle had pale yellow water and the second dark brown water – showing the pollutants that entered the water in Delhi.

It drove home the need for care of rivers by both states and the Centre. An officer of the water resources ministry said the Centre has finalised a plan to designate seven rivers that would help in joint management and conservation by the central and state governments. The rivers selected are Ganga, Yamuna, Brahmaputra, Godavari, Narmada, Krishna and Kaveri.

According to ministry officials, the scheme would facilitate aresponsible and uniform control and supervision of the rivers by the states they pass through. An issue not clear yet is how well or effectively the scheme would operate for rivers such as Krishna and Kaveri amid the sharp water disputes between the states they pass through.

Before the scheme becomes operational, a constitutional amendment would have to be made under the concurrent list to enable the Centre’s participation in joint management.

s_rajesh@dnaindia.net