Union Minister for Water Resources Uma Bharti told mediapersons here said that at the behest of Prime Minister Narendra Modi she had come to two Parliament constituencies of Odisha and Chhattisgarh.
Each MP of BJP is also doing so and spending at least 30 hours in the constituency for a pre budget homework and interaction with the people.
She said the PM is giving importance for 100 per cent utilization old irrigation projects like Hirakud. Due to this, plans for desilting of Hirakud dam to increase its water holding capacity would be chalked out, she said.
“Out of the total rain water of the country, the share of Odisha is 12 per cent. Hence, preservation of rain water in Odisha can solve the water scarcity for irrigation,” she opined. On the Polavaram project, she said it as a national project and suggested that both the State Governments of Odisha and AP should come to an amicable settlement over all disputes.
Talking on water pollution, she said that the Government of India has no control over State Pollution Control Boards (SPCBs). But she would send a team from the Central Pollution Control Board to study water pollution in Hirakud reservoir and the Mahanadi.