Guwahati, Aug. 26: The chairman of the task force on interlinking rivers, Suresh Prabhu, today said Assam would benefit immensely from linking the Brahmaputra with the major rivers of the country.

Addressing a news conference here, the former Union power minister said the task force was consulting political parties, government departments and non-governmental organisations to find the best formula for Assam.

“We are not forcing anything on the state. It can come up with its own solutions that are scientifically and technically viable,” he said.

The National Water Development Agency is compiling a feasibility report on the proposed Brahmaputra-Ganga link. The Manas-Sankosh-Tista-Ganga link is expected to be the source of irrigation for 2.08 lakh hectares of farmland in Goalpara, Dhubri, Kokrajhar and Barpeta districts. These areas will also benefit through hydropower generation.

A seminar was organised here to familiarise government departments and non-governmental organisations with the technical aspects of the river-interlinking project. The Asom Jatiyatabadi Yuba Chatra Parishad, however, said it would consider supporting the project only after getting more information.

Prabhu said the Brahmaputra Board had already prepared a plan to prevent floods in the aftermath of the river-interlinking project. He said environmental issues and social benefits would be accorded top priority.

Assam water resources minister Nurjamal Sarkar said Dispur had constituted a high-power committee to examine the feasibility of interlinking rivers. “It is a major decision and we want to carefully examine all aspects before giving our consent to the project.”

The committee will specifically study whether interlinking rivers will solve the problem of floods.

The Union ministry of water resources set up the task force on interlinking rivers to evolve a consensus on sharing water resources and transfer of surplus water to deficit areas.

Prabhu said the Indian Institute of Technology, Guwahati, would study the links proposed by the National Water Development Agency for the Brahmaputra and submit its recommendations, if any, to the task force.

He claimed that India had not violated any international convention by taking up the river-interlinking project and was willing to resolve cross-border issues related to it through bilateral negotiations with its neighbouring countries.

The task force chief said Bangladesh was objecting to the project primarily because of misinformation. He contended that India was not the only country to undertake a river-interlinking project.

“Our neighbour China is doing similar work on the Yangtze river,” he added.