AGARTALA, July 8 (TIWN): The Ministry of Water Resources recently cleared three proposed anti erosion projects on River Howrah, River Gomati and River Khowai. A letter from Union Minister for Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation Uma Bharati to the state government recently said that the revised DPR of the three projects submitted on June 22, 2013 was cleared by the MoWR. All three projects got investment clearance from the Planning Commission of India (PCI) in February earlier this year.

A highly placed source inside the Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation said that the state government had earlier submitted proposals of Rs. 31.47 crore for rejuvenation of River Howrah, Rs. 70.30 crores for River Gomati and Rs. 38.46 crores for River Khowai on February 25, 2010 to the Central Water Commission.

All three schemes were enhanced by the CWC and the state government submitted a revised proposal for Rs. 42.99 crores, Rs. 91.73 crores, Rs. 55.4253 crores for anti-erosion works on the three rivers.

“Silting at places where the rivers emerge from the hills into the plains, at convex bends and near their outfall into another river or lake or sea, is a natural phenomenon. Accordingly, rivers exhibit a tendency to braid or meander to form delta”, the source said. He added that a number of committees comprising of experts were appointed to look into this problem didn’t recommend desilting or dredging of the rivers as a remedial measure.