8.2.12. Interlinking of Rivers

The Supreme Court directed the Centre to constitute a ‘Special Committee' forthwith for inter- linking of rivers for the benefit of the entire nation.

A Bench of Chief Justice S.H. Kapadia and Justices A.K. Patnaik and Swatanter Kumar, in its judgment in a 2002 case relating to networking of rivers, said the committee should submit a bi-annual report to the Union Cabinet, which must consider the report and take decisions.

The bench noted, “As pointed out in the report by National Council of Applied Economic Research and by the Standing Committee, the delay has adversely affected the financial benefits that could have accrued to the concerned parties and the people at large, and is in fact now putting a financial strain on all concerned.”