New Delhi: The task force set up on interlinking of rivers in the country has expressed confidence on feasibility of the project aimed at tackling frequent droughts and floods, Deputy Prime Minister L K Advani said in New Delhi on May 27.

He said Task Force chief Suresh Prabhu met him three days back and told him that positive signs had emerged after preliminary discussions with experts over the feasibility of interlinking of rivers.

"He (Prabhu) is confident that the project is feasible and is dedicatedly working in this direction," Advani said while flagging off volunteers of Nehru Yuvak Kendra to Leh in Jammu and Kashmir for annual Sindhu Darshan festival.

"The country will benefit immensely once the networking of rivers is completed," he said.

Advani said the government, which wanted a solution to the problems of frequent droughts and floods, had hit the idea of linking of rivers on the basis of the theory of K L Rao, a minister in Jawaharlal Nehru government, who had proposed linking of Ganga and Cauvery.

Although the theory was not found feasible in its actual sense, the government classified the country's rivers into two sections -- North and South -- and realised that their interlinking was possible, he said.

On Sindhu Darshan festival, he said its popularity had grown since the last seven years when it was conceptualised.

Leaders of all major religions will attend the upcoming festival, displaying national unity, he said.

Tourism Minister Jagmohan said budget for the festival had been hiked from Rs 60 lakh to Rs one crore.

PTI