NEW DELHI, Jan 23 � The stalemate over establishing the ambitious North East Water Resources Authority (NEWRA) continues, as the Ministry of Water Resources (MoWR) has not been able to work out a consensus among the north-eastern States.
The MoWR, which has been mandated to handle the setting up of NEWRA and revamp of the Brahmaputra Board, had constituted a nodal group last October to look into all the angles concerning restructuring of the Board with a wider mandate as a basin-level authority.
However, despite holding five rounds of meetings so far, the contentious issue of constituting NEWRA has not been clinched.
The latest status on constitution of NEWRA was discussed at the Sixth High Powered Review Board Meeting of Brahmaputra Board, held at Guwahati on January 18, said highly placed sources.
The nodal group plans to hold interactions with the State Governments of the North-east on constitution of NEWRA and submit a report, which would be taken up with the Prime Minister�s Office (PMO) to enable the Union Government to take a decision on the matter.
The proposal to set up NEWRA has got stuck following serious objections by the Arunachal Pradesh Government. The State has conveyed that constitution of NEWRA would have serious socio-economic implications. Constitution of the authority in the way it is conceived would create complications rather than tapping hydropower.
Meanwhile, under pressure from Assam, the Ministry of Water Resources has constituted a committee to look into the aspect of flood moderation. A team of officials was asked to visit Arunachal Pradesh to take up the issue of flood moderation and report to the PMO, sources said.
Notwithstanding the uproar over construction of the 2000 MW Subansiri Hydroelectric Project in Assam, the Brahmaputra Board has completed preparation of Detailed Project Report (DPRs) on five multi-purpose projects in Brahmaputra and Barak basins and on the south-flowing rivers of Meghalaya.
The DPRs on Siang, Subansiri, Tipaimukh, Pagladiya and Bairabi dam projects have been completed and handed over to the concerned authority, the Board has informed.
The DPRs on two dam projects including Dibang and Lohit have been partially completed. Survey and investigation of Kynshi Stage-I and II in Meghalaya have been handed over to private developers by the Meghalaya Government. Currently, survey and investigation of Kulsi multi-purpose project, Nao-Dehing, Simsang, Jiadhol and Killing dam projects are on, said the status report.
