Inclusion of Tamil Nadu Rivers under NRCP

	Given the fact that rivers and lakes are our lifelines, Baalu put special focus on conservation of water bodies and waterways of the country and made the National River Conservation Plan (NRCP) a flagship programme of the Ministry. As expected from any Minister, developments in his home state Tamil Nadu always found a special place in his action programmes. He was fast enough to observe a skewed coverage with major rivers and waterways of Tamil Nadu and particularly those of Chennai viz. Adyar and Cooum and Bucingham and Mamblam Canals etc. not finding a place in the programme. He quickly put the state government and his own Ministry into action and got Government approval to a Rs.491 crore project for conservation of rivers and
water bodies of Chennai in September 2000. So much determined was Baalu that he curtailed his important foreign visit to Japan to attend the Cabinet Meeting considering this project and got special dispensation from Planning Commission to include a major project of such a large outlay midway in the IX Plan.