Ground survey work on river linking project begins in Uttarakhand

Major tributaries of the 105-km long Pindar river that originates from the Pindari glacier like Sunderdunga and Shambhu will be linked under the project with Gomti river in Baijnath valley of Bageshwar district and the upper catchment area of Kosi, Lodh and Gagas rivers in Almora district, a top official associated with the project said.

The Uttarakhand government has begun initial work on a project aimed at linking the glacier-fed rivers of Kumaon with the rain-fed ones in the region. Major tributaries of the 105-km long Pindar river that originates from the Pindari glacier like Sunderdunga and Shambhu will be linked under the project with Gomti river in Baijnath valley of Bageshwar district and the upper catchment area of Kosi, Lodh and Gagas rivers in Almora district, a top official associated with the project said. Water will be extracted from the Pindar river and pumped into the Gomti, Kosi, Lodh and Gagas rivers through tunnels and pipes under the project, he said. This is the first-of-its-kind river linking project in the country which can even lead to the beginning of more such projects in the Himalayan areas which face water issues, Nitish Jha, secretary, department of drinking water which has begun the ambitious project said.

''The project aims to address the water woes of people in Almora and Bageshwar districts where rain-fed water bodies are drying up due to environmental and climatic factors,'' Jha said.

An expert team consisting of engineers from the department and geologists has already started ground survey work on the project on June 8. The initial survey which is likely to conclude on Sunday is focused on identifying points from where water can be extracted from the Pindar river, the official said. After nearly a year of initial ground and analysis work a detailed project report will be sent to the Centre for necessary clearances, Jha said adding he hopes that the project will be implemented in two years. Pindar river has been chosen for the project as it is unutilised for irrigation or drinking water purposes.

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