Kerala opposes inter-linking of river waters.

Kerala recently strongly opposed the Union government's plan to interlink state rivers Pampa and Achenkovil with Vaipar in Tamil Nadu, holding that there was no excess water in rivers in the state.

Making it clear that Kerala would not agree to the project at any cost, Chief Minister Oommen Chandy told the Assembly that repeated pressure from the state resulted in National Water Development Agency (NWDA) removing Pampa-Achenkovil linking with Vaipar from its priority list.

Government would continue its opposition to the project by presenting before the forum concerned, the adverse impact it could cause to the state, he said.

The Chief Minister also claimed that the project would lead to massive ecological destruction and inundate 2000 heactares of land, including forests. Kuttanad area where the two rivers join would become a desert if the project was implemented, he said.

Besides, studies conducted on the two rivers by experts have also found that there was no excess water.


HBL