India, Aug. 20 -- Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay is set to press the Centre for speedy implementation of the Godavari-Cauvery river linking project, and to seek national project status for it, at the 31st Southern Zonal Council meeting at Kovalam near Mamallapuram on Thursday.

The project envisages diverting surplus Godavari water to the water-deficit Cauvery basin, potentially easing shortages across the southern states. Vijay wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi earlier this month seeking directions to the Jal Shakti Ministry and the National Water Development Agency to expedite consultations with the states concerned. He met Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday night ahead of the meeting, his first meeting with Shah s...