An Open Letter to Modi, Sir.

“Catch every raindrop wherever it falls” said the then Prime Minster Vajpayee in 2002, but his poetic exertion fell on deaf ears of ‘National Water Development Agency (NWDA)’.  To solve India’s recurrent flood and draught NWDA was established in 1982 and to study basin-wide water surpluses and deficits and explore the possibilities for storage, links and mass transfer of water from flood affected north to draught hit south. Unfortunately for one reason or the other this project didn’t take off.

This water subject was taken to Supreme Court in 2002. Advocate Ranjit Kumar prayed Supreme Court to direct the central government to take up this project in all earnestness. The Apex Court ordered the government to take up and complete the Inter -Linking Rivers (ILR) project and complete it in the shortest possible time. Vajpayee government constituted task force (TF) for ILR in 2002 and set the target date as December 2016.

The task force was however wound up in the year 2004 for various reasons. In 2008 the Apex Court thundered again as to why not even a single link was under way. In 2009 UPA water resource minister PK Bansal told the Lok Sabha that the project’s financial requirement of Rs 5 lakh crore was unaffordable.

This in brief is the history of ILR. If the present NDA government takes up ILR project India would be engaged in an economic activity of the biggest scale so far unheard of anywhere in the world. Lakhs and lakhs of jobs would be created. The cottage, small, medium and big industries would get fresh lease of life and the GDP would shoot up. Simultaneous mitigation of flood and draught would solve increasing conflicts between states on water allocation. The completion of project would take India out of economic mess.

The project might take eight to ten years to complete and require now around eight lakh crores of rupees. After demonetization in November 2016, around five lakh crores of black money is recovered. Little more rigorous effects on the part of central government would surely supply the required funds for the entire project. This is a god sent opportunity. All that is required now is political willpower.

Modi, sir, you are a man with vision and possess abundant political willpower. You have the intention to transform India into a rich and prosperous nation. Not just the Apex Court, the entire country is standing behind you. If the country misses this opportunity we may not get another chance. Modi, sir you are the right man for this job. Please look into the matter and take appropriate action.

With  regards,