My first job is to bring Godavari, Krishna water to TN, says Nitin Gadkari

Chennai: Union minister Nitin Gadkari who renewed his assurance to bring water to Tamil Nadu said his first task (as Union minister) would be to link Godavari-Krishna rivers so that Cauvery becomes copious.

Apparently indicating that the BJP is still concerned for Tamil Nadu, despite losing in the just concluded Lok Sabha elections, the results of which were announced on Thursday, Gadkari said he would ensure water to the parched State.

“My first job would be to link Godavari and Krishna and this (will) bring water to TamilNadu,” the Tamil Nadu BJP tweeted quoting the Central Minister.

“This is what BJP is all about. Even though you reject #TNRejectsBJP, they will do their duty,” the tweet further said.

“We will take backwaters of Godavari to Krishna and from Krishna to Pennar and then to the tail end of Cauvery in Tamil Nadu,” the Union Water Resources and River Development Minister, said. In January this year, Gadkari said the project which would be implemented by the Centre under the national river connectivity programme, would make use of 1,100 tmc ft water of Godavari river flowing waste into the sea. The project envisages the laying of steel pipes.

During the peak of conflict between Tamil Nadu and Karnataka over the Cauvery water, he had remarked that there was a dispute between the two States over 45 tmc ft while 1,100 tmc ft water went waste into the sea. It is said the project would resolve the water disputes among four southern States of Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh.

Later, following a plea from Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami to augment the water resources in the state by linking of Cauvery-Godavari rivers, Gadkari had assured to take up the project after Cabinet clearance.