Indian Inter-river Linking Project-An AnalysisNithin ThomasAmal Baby

AbstractThe interlinking of rivers in India is a dream project of current Government under the leadership of Narendra Modi. The project though had its roots in the past, is not realized yet. The project came in lime light again when the Finance Minister made some allocations to it in the current budget. The river linking project has many benefits and the same time anxieties are associated.IntroductionCoping with annual floods and droughts has been a paramount concern for India over the years. Such concerns will increase with a growing population and changing climate. The recent Budget of the newly elected union Government has reconfirmed its desire to restart the Interlinking of Rivers project which was silent during the previous regime. Besides introduction and conclusion,this analysis is subdivided into the four sections which deals with an anecdote of co runners of similar projects, the Indian plan, benefits and criticisms. The River inter-linking project has a long history. During the British Colonial Rule, Sir Arthur Cotton proposed the plan to interlink major Indian rivers in order to hasten the import and exports of goods from its colony in south Asia, as well as to address water shortages and drought in south eastern India. In the post independence period, many ministeries including Indira Gandhi has formulated the plan and in 2003, the president is his Independence Day speech, declared that the first aim of the govt is on the networking of rivers. And the Supreme Court has also directed the govt to speeden up the project of river inter linking. In India the rainfall in the country is primerly orographic. South West monsoon accounts for more than 85% precipitation. The uncertainty of occurrence of rainfall marked by prolonged dry spells and fluctuations in seasonal and annual rainfall is a serious problem for country. The north eastern region of the country receives heavy pericipitation in comparison with the north western and southern part. Nation witness drought and flood simultaneous in the various parts. This excess scarcity regional disparities and flood-drought cycles have created the need for water resources management. Thus arises the inter linking of river water project

Who else has done this?China has a scheme of transferring 48 km3 of water from Yangtze to the Yellow river to improve water availability in dry plains of Northern China. Chinas Grand canal and Indias famous Indira Gandhi Canal has a successful history of river interlinking. In USA the Colorado Big Thomson project which is a minor project transfers 0.284 km3 of water to South Platte river basinAnother story comes from Lesotho a land locked country in Africa. Lesotho Highland water project transfers water from Lesotho to South Africa.The Indian River interlinking ProjectThe Indian interlinking project has two components 1. The Himalayan Component 2. The Peninsular Component. We are planning to build 30 links and some 3000 storages to connect 37 Himalayan and Peninsular rivers to form a gigantic South Asian water grid. The canals, planned to be 50 to 100 meters wide and more than 6 meters deep, would facilitate navigation. It will handle 178 km3 of inter-basin water transfer/per year, build 12,500 km of canals, create 35 giga watts of hydropower capacity, add 35 million hectare to Indias irrigated areas, and generate an unknownvolume of navigation and fishery benefits.

HimalayanPeninsular

Links1416

Reservoirs1658

Power300004000

Cost (crores)454000106000

Water transfer m/ha141.333

Irrigation2213

Link Canal length61004777

Drought mitigation1.70.85

BenefitsThe river linking project has got many benefits which will prove to be a solution to Indias problems with water scarcity .We can see both dry and over wet areas simultaneously in our country .if we are able to link those areas the productivity of the country as a whole will be doubled .it will have its impact of on securing the food granary of our nation It is estimated that by 2050 the per capita availability of water will fall from the present 1820m3 to 1140m3. The interlinking project will be a boost to enhance the per capita availability of water. Another major benefit associated with this project is the successful mitigation of floods. Every year we are witnessing havoc created by rain. Last year it was Uttrakhand and this year Jammu & Kashmir is suffering. The deepening of rivers and inter connectivity will enhance the water storage capacity of rivers and there by reducing the flood occurrence. The irrigation capacity of our nation is limited. Still our agriculture is a gamble on monsoon. If we successfully implement this project our irrigation potentially can be increased and it will be abilising for our agriculture oriented rural population. The India is facing accurate shortage of power hoe and will aggregate in the coming future .The proposed is expected to increase the hydropower production to 34000MW. Another benefit is associated with inland navigation which is a highly cost effective and ecofriendly from of navigation which will be augmented after the interconnectivity.

Criticisms This project is being criticized from its origin by various stakeholders. I am articulating certain criticisms which are leveled against this project. The huge cost associated with this project, Now $100bn and will be escalated to $200bn is a major criticism against this project. Another major criticism is the land acquisition which is a common problem for every development problem in our country. The increased population is creating pressures and also the political protests will become a hard nut to crack.Anothre area of concern is the construction and maintenance of new dams,new canals,cross drainage structures. Carefull engineering is needed to pacify the anxiety of various sections of people.Another issue rraised is the submergence of vast land area after interlinking the rivers. It will have adverse effect on the wild life especially the rare species that can be endemic to India. Biodiversity is in a serious challenge and this will also affect the natural landscaping and unfortunately the nature is beyond our calculations.If we disturb the natural flow of the riverine system, will it adapt to our new system?One major issue is the transport of toxic and hazardous polluting materials from one river to another.many rivers like Yamuna, Ganga is heavily polluted in many areas and with interlinking it will get transpoprted to other parts too.Another major area of concern is the coordination between countries and states. Bhutan, Myanmar,Pakistan,Nepal, Bangladesh, are involved in the after effects of this project. If they raise their opposition, it will be a problem.Anothre thing is that water is a state subject and we have witnessed serious disputes with regard to water sharing between states. So the coordination os states is a majpr problem.

Way forward The proposed inter linking of rivers project will be win-win situation if implemented well. The forest cover will be increased to 33% from the current levels of around 20 %.The nations food security can be guaranteed and the energy requirements of Future India can be well managed.The navigational benefits will improve the socio economic condition of the people. But carefull assessment of risks and proper implementation mechanisms should be established so that it can be foolproof. The Displacement issues should be strictly monitored and rehabilitated. The political leadership should have a long term vision so that the project is efficiently carried out. If the environmental concerns are well managed, the project will become the lifeline of our country in coming future.

References

1. Tushaar Shah Upali Amrasinghe Peter McCornick; Indias River Linking Project: The State of the Debate.2. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/River_Linking.3. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indian_Rivers_Inter-link.4. Kelly D. Alley Indias river linking plan: History and Current Debates. 5. Dharmendra Mehta, Naveen K. Mehta;Interlinking of Rivers in India: Issues & Challenges6. www.youtube.com/watch?v=107fsOzg9xM.