Kalam urges youth to find long-term solution to control floods

TIRUCHIRAPALLI: Stressing the need for long term solution to control floods, store and use surplus water during drought, former President A P J Abdul Kalam has urged the youth to embark on 'multi-disciplinary efforts' in this regard.

The scientific approach taken up by the youth of the country should ensure continuous availability of additional water for the growing population and also regulate the enormous outflow of river water into the ocean, he said, delivering the third convocation address of the National Institute of Technology, Tiruchi (NITT) here last evening.

Advocating linking of river basins within the states, Kalam mentioned that other states could emulate Goa and Andhra Pradesh which were already making some progress in this direction.

On the project report submitted by the Tamil Nadu government on state waterways, he said the project should be taken up for implementation on a mission mode.

The project entailed connecting major dams, lakes and tanks and linking all west to east-flowing rivers in the state with the Tamil Nadu waterways grid.

The project would provide a challenge to all the disciplines of engineering and business management teams. It will facilitate national connectivity of waterways when it became operational, Kalam said, adding the project could be implemented with World Bank assistance or BOOT (build, operate, own and transfer) method.

He conferred degrees on 927 candidates. Chairman,Board of Governors, NITT, R Seshashayee, presided.Institute Director M Chidambaram listed the institute's achievements. pti COR BN RS 08251609 DEL NNNN