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Central Water Commission(CWC)

Context

  • Institution of Engineers-India’s Karnataka State Center on Tuesday urged the State Government to step up its efforts to get an NoC from the Central Water Commission (CWC) and other clearances to its proposal on constructing the proposed reservoir.
  • The IEI argued that the project ensures water supply to Bengaluru from the Cauvery round the year, besides meeting the drinking water needs of Ramanagaram, Kolar and Chickballapur districts.
  • The project also has an “indirect” benefit as farmers in Mysuru region will be assured of water all through the year as the “pressure” on the four major dams in the Cauvery basin, which have a combined storage of 114.57 tmcft, will be eased, with the construction of the balancing reservoir, it claimed.
  • “The proposed Mekedatu project’s focus is only on meeting the drinking water needs of the people. The project is, however, opposed by Tamil Nadu. But, on the contrary, the project benefits the neighboring State the most. Moreover, there’s no provision for irrigation in the project and the water, after power generation, is released into the river that eventually flows into T.N.

About CWC:

  • Central Water Commission is a premier Technical Organization of India in the field of Water Resources and is presently functioning as an attached office of the Ministry of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation, Government of India.
  • CWC was earlier known as Central Waterways, Irrigation and Navigation Commission i.e. CWINC.
  • It was established in 1945 by the Government on the advice of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, Member (Labour) in Viceroy’s Executive Council.
  • The credit for the establishment of CWINC is attributed to Dr. B. R. Ambedkar, under whose able guidance the then Labour Department constituted the Commission.

Functions:

  • The Commission is entrusted with the general responsibilities of initiating, coordinating and furthering in consultation of the State Governments concerned, schemes for control, conservation and utilization of water resources throughout the country, for purpose of Flood Control, Irrigation, Navigation, Drinking Water Supply and Water Power Development. It also undertakes the investigations, construction and execution of any such schemes as required.

Source: THE HINDU.