NEW DELHI, Dec 6 ?The much-hyped plan for revamp of the Brahmaputra Board may take years, as the proposal was still at the conceptual stage in the Ministry of Water Resources (MoWR), even as the Pagladiya Dam Project is awaiting Public Investment Board (PIB) and Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) clearance.
The possibility of a permanent solution to the flood and erosion problems is likely to remain a pipedream, as for implementation of the Master Plan drafted by Brahmaputra Board, Assam Government would need a whopping Rs 1,22,944 crore and for Master Plan Part - II another trench of Rs 6,322 crore.
The Master Plan prepared by the Board and after approval by Government of India were sent to the State Government for implementation, Union Minister of State for Water Resources, Jai Prakash Narayan Yadav said in written reply to a question tabled by Dr Arun Kumar Sarma.
However, Brahmaputra Board, which has the mandate for execution of river training, flood and erosion schemes has also taken up a few ongoing schemes identified in the Master Plan for execution, the Minister said.
Based on the Master Plans, the Brahmaputra Board identified 34 number of drainage Development Schemes, out of which, detailed project report of nine have been prepared and 25 number of schemes are under various stages of preparation. The Board also completed survey, investigation and preparation of detailed project for five multi-purpose projects, whereas 10 numbers are under various stages of preparation.
Meanwhile, the project cost of the proposed Pagladiya Dam Project has almost doubled it is now likely to cost Rs 1069.40 crore. The Project has to go for fresh approval from PIB and CCEA.
The Minister further said that amount of Rs 102 crore has been provided to the Brahmaputra Board for the10th Five Year Plan, of which an amount of Rs 20 crore has been earmarked for 2004-2005. During 10th Five Year plan, expenditure for 2002-2003 was Rs 17.51 crore and for 2003-2004 Rs 17.60 crore and for 2004-2005 Rs 9.75 crore.
Meanwhile, the Minister said that Detailed Project Report for five hydel projects including Dihang (Siang), Subansiri, Pagladiya, Tipaimukh and Bairabi Dam Projects has been completed. While Tipaimukh and Bairabi Dam Projects have been handed over to NEEPCO and Mizoram Government, Siang and Subansiri Dam Projects were under execution by NHPC.
Meanwhile, the Minister said that no modification has been made on criteria for central funding of flood and erosion control projects during the Ninth and 10th Plan. Surprisingly no funds for flood protection and critical anti-erosion work were released to Assam during the Ninth and 10th Plan, according to figures tabled by the Minister.
Meanwhile, Union MoWR, Priya Ranjan Das Munshi said that National Common Minimum Programme of the UPA Government indicates that it would make a comprehensive assessment of the feasibility of linking the rivers of the country starting with the Southern rivers and this assessment would be done in a fully consultative manner. After the comprehensive assessment, it has been decided that river linking programme be continued with a focus of peninsular rivers.