Chennai: The cost of inter-linking of rivers in India would be lesser than the expected estimate, Suresh Prabhu, Chairman of Task Force on Interlinking of rivers said on April 16.

"Only when a detailed project report is prepared, actual cost of the project can be worked out", he said during a media interaction on "Jal Swaraj: Facing the Water Emergency", organised jointly by the M S Swaminathan Research Foundation and the Hindu Media Resource Centre for Sustainable Development.

He said the project, which had two components - one linking of all Himalayan rivers and another linking of peninsular rivers should not be viewed only on the cost basis, but on the basis of water supply management.

With 17 per cent of the population of the world living in just 2.5 per cent land mass (India), the project would bring immense benefit, he said.

The project to be implemented with a human face could also generate 40,000 MW of hydropower, the cheaper form of power generation, he said adding that by implementing the project, the forest cover of the country could be increased, besides providing job to lakhs of people.

PTI