Railway Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav said he has a novel solution to put an end to the water shortage in the country.
He said that he has a plan to route water which flows from Himayalas to the sea, through pipelines along the vast network of railway tracks in the country.
Speaking at a function to flag off the Latur-Osmananbad rain service at Latur in Marathwada region on Wednesday, the railway minister said this plan could solve the scarcity of water for drinking and irrigation purposes.
Elaborating on his plan, Yadav said, "Nectar-like water flows from Himalayas and goes to the sea. This water could be tapped by routing it in the country through pipeline on both sides of rail tracks."
The minister,
who has won acclaim from international institutions for making the railways rake in profits, said the railway land and the space along the rail tracks could also be used for laying fibre optic cables to improve information technology sector.
He named a leading industrialist and said, "I can earn more profit for railways than him by using the fibre optic network along the tracks."
Union Home minister Shivraj Patil and Maharastra Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh, who hail from Latur district, were present at the function.
Lalu also announced that the Latur-Mumbai train service, which is now thrice a week affair, would be a daily service within a month. He also inaugurated the new broad gauge line between Latur and Osmanabad.
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