LIR PTH1

UGC Sponsored National Seminar

Linking of Indian Rivers : Boon or Bane

1314 September 2013

ABSTRACTS

Organised by

Department of GeologyGovindram Seksaria Science Degree College, Belgaum

www.gssbgm.edu.in

Organising CommitteeAdvisory

Prof. S.Y.Prabhu, Principal, Deg.CollegeProf.S.N.Desai, Principal Jr.College

Prof. U.S.Aralimatti IQAC Co-ordinatorShri.Vishwanath, Scientist, CGWB, BelgaumDr.B.K.Purandara, Scientist, NIH, BelgaumDr.B.Venkatesh, Scientist, NIH, Belgaum

Reception & RegistrationProf. Nagsuresh

Prof. (Mrs).Vaishali BharatiProf. (Mrs). A.R. Chitnis

Prof.(Miss) Priyanka Shinde Res.FellowAccommodation and Transportation

Prof. A.A.HalgekarProf. Y.B.Dalvi Prof. P.S. Patil

Prof. Bharati SawantShri.J.R.RavalucheMr.S.P.Manwadkar

Stage & Mike arrangementProf.(Mrs.) Anuja Naik

Prof.Praveen PatilProf. A.R. Kulkarni

Prof.Sagar Waghmare Res.FellowMr.Deepak Adiandra

Mr.Manohar Patil

CateringProf. B.L.Majukar

Prof.P.M.BhatProf.(Mrs.). S S. Joshi

Mr.MandolkarMr.M.P.Karande

Banners and CertificatesProf. Praveen P. Patil

Prof.P.K.Pitre

EntertainmentProf.P.K.Pitre

Media & PublicityDr. H. B. Kolkar

Prof.(Mrs) M.S.DeshpandeAccounts

Shri. Arun Samant.Dr. P. T. HanamgondOrganising Secretary

Shri.A.K.MenseConvener

Convener and Organising Secretarys NoteConvener and Organising Secretarys NoteConvener and Organising Secretarys NoteConvener and Organising Secretarys NoteConvener and Organising Secretarys Note

Govindram Seksaria Science (GSS) Degree College is a Re-accredited with A Grade (3.10 CGPA) by NAAC,

and College with Ptential for Excellence. It is a premier institution in Science catering for the need of society

in providing quality education in this part of the country. It is run by South Konkan Education Society,

Belgaum under the supervision of a progressive management. It has a beautiful campus with well equipped

laboratories, departmental museums, well qualified and dedicated staff. The library is known to have largest

collection of books in the northern Karnataka.

The Department of Geology Department of Geology Department of Geology Department of Geology Department of Geology is one of the oldest departments and is well known for its academic excellence

in this part of the country. The alumni of the department have spread all over India. The department is

active in Coastal Research of Uttara Kannada and Southern Maharashtra Coast; through major research

projects funded by DST, UGC & MoES; and have contributed many National & International publications.

About the present Seminar:About the present Seminar:About the present Seminar:About the present Seminar:About the present Seminar:

The longstanding mega plan, River-linking project (RLP), proposes to link 14 Himalayan rivers in the

north and 16 peninsular rivers in the south. The benefits of such a scheme are obvious - it would add 35-37

million hectares of irrigated land generate 34,000 million kilowatts of electricity and increase navigational

efficiency apart from controlling floods and eliminating chances of drought.

The Inter Linking of Rivers (ILR) was touted as one of the flagship programmes by then NDA Government;

and Shri. Suresh Prabhu, then Union Minister was the architect of the programme.

However, in view of the recent Supreme Court order of 27 February 2012, asking the government to

implement the interlinking of rivers, the present Seminar invites the stake holders and policy makers to

examine the feasibility studies based upon existing reports and future plans. In fact, none of the water

balance studies or pre-feasibility studies are in the public domain.

ILR is one of the most ambitious projects ever proposed to address the issues of water scarcity and conflicts

in India. The purpose is to find a permanent solution to droughts and floods, to generate additional water for

agriculture, and also to increase Indias hydropower capacity. Obviously the ILR has triggered many thoughts

among people and there are schools of thoughts For and Against the proposed project. The present Seminar

has provided a platform to assess the same.

We are grateful to University Grants Commission, New Delhi for the financial support. We also thank the

advisory and organising committee members for their constant support, guidance and help. Our special

thanks to Shreyasi Printers, Belgaum for printing this abstract volume.

Dr.P.T.HanamgondDr.P.T.HanamgondDr.P.T.HanamgondDr.P.T.HanamgondDr.P.T.Hanamgond Prof.A.K.MenseProf.A.K.MenseProf.A.K.MenseProf.A.K.MenseProf.A.K.Mense

Organising Secretary Convener

Title of Research Paper with Authors Page No.1. Small water harvesting structures are better option than linkages of river. 1

Usha Jain, C.V Dhabriya and Devayani Kulkarni, University of Rajasthan, Jaipur2. Water Diversion with Sustainable Development Approach: A Case Study of Hivara 2

Nala Stream in Western Akole Tahsil of Ahemadnagar District, Maharashtra.Mr. Sainath P. Aher, Mr. Shashikant I. Bairagi, Mr. Ravindra D. Gaikwad, Department ofGeography, S. N. Arts, D. J. M. Commerce & B. N. S. Science College,Sangamner, Maharashtra

3. Need of West Flowing Rivers Excessive Water Diversion in Upper Godavari Basin ofMaharashtra. *Sainath P. Aher, Amol P. Jarag, Sambhaji D. Shinde andDr. S. S. Panhalkar; 3*Dept. of Geography, S. N. Arts, D. J. M. Commerce & B. N. S. Science College,Sangamner, Maharashtra; Department of Geography, Shivaji University, Kolhapur, Maharashtra

4. Review of Interlinking of Rivers in Parola Taluka of Jalgaon District,Maharashtra State, 4 India. Sujit Shimpi1 and V. M. Rokade21Department of Geology, Moolji Jetha College,Jalgaon 425 0012School of Environmental and Earth Sciences, North MaharashtraUniversity, Jalgaon 425 001

5. Accuracy Assessment of Carto-DEM and SRTM- Data of Panchganga River Basin Using 5Geostatistical Techniques. S.S.Panhalkar, A.P.Jarag and S.D.Pawar*Department of Geography,Shivaji University, Kolhapur*Department of Statistics, Shivaji University, Kolhapur

6. Linking of Rivers can be a boon if tackled wisely else it can be a bane. Dr. V. H. Uttangi 6# 1431/ 2, 13th main, B. T. M, 2nd stage, 1st phase, Bangaluru- 560076.

7. Linking of Indian Rivers Boon or Bane. Prakash Kumar Gupta, Department of Geography, 7Magadh University, Bodhgaya 824239

8. Pros and Cons for Inter Connectivity of Mizoram River to Major Drainage Systems. 8Rahul Verma, Department of Geology, Pachhunga University College, Aizawl, Mizoram

9. Landslide occurrence and its relation to precipitation saturation in parts ofWestern Ghats 10Escarpments, Raigarh district, Maharashtra; India. Milind A. Herlekar and Suhas Kamble,Department of Geology, University of Pune, Maharashtra, India

10. Water : Past, Present and Future. S. Y. Prabhu, Department of Zoology, G.S.Science College, 11Belgaum-6

11. Linking of Indian Rivers A Catastrophe. Prashant Katti, Department of Civil Engineering, 13MIT Kundapura, Karnataka

12. Inter and Intra basin Water Transfer - A Unique solution fordual problems in India. 14Dr. H. Mahabaleshwara and H.M. Nagabhushan1, Professor & Former Principal, R.Y.MEngineering College, Bellary, 1. Professor & Dean, R.Y.M Engineering College, Bellary

13. Linking of Indian rivers to satisfy the water needs and control the floods. M. P. Itnal1, A. G. 28Ugarkar2 and Chandan Kumar B2.1Senior Geophysicist, Office of the Deputy Director.Dept. of Mines & Geology, Mangalore-1; 2Department of Studies in Geology, KarnatakaUniversity, Dharwad- 3

14. Indias River Linking Project. Anand Kishor Verma, Akhilesh Kumar, Pawan Kumar and 46Dhiraj Kumar JhaSIAEIT, #9, Coffee Board Layout, Hebbal Kempapura, H.A.Farm Post,Bangalore-560024

15. pUi q lSrlM eQ, sp Lu Wl: LM pasM Akrrl. 50Dr.Upadhyay Vinod Koushik, Geography Dept, Magadh University, Bodhgaya.

CONTENTS

1Small water harvesting structures are better option than linkages of riverUsha Jain, C.V Dhabriya and Devayani Kulkarni,

University of Rajasthan, JaipurEmail: [email protected]

ABSTRACT

The Ruparel river is one of the important river of the north-east part of Rajasthan. This river starts fromAravalli hills of Alwar district and ends in Sikri Patti dam of the Bharatpur district. During the state timethere are numbers of the water harvesting structures constructed to sort out the scarcity problem of drinkingand irrigation. Apart from this, due to frequent drought people of the Ruparel river basin were sufferingfrom water scarcity problem. In beginning of 1990s people of villages situated in micro watershed no.2C5D4e had constructed number of small rain water harvesting structures like Johad, bandh etc. to sortout water scarcity problems.

The paper investigates the impact of small water harvesting structures on agriculture and forest in villagessituated in micro watershed no. 2C5D4e of Ruparel river basin in Alwar district of Rajasthan. The specificobjective is the assessment of the role of small structures on land use pattern; agriculture and forest coverat micro level. The data has been collected through a survey and also from primary and secondary sources.The result shows rise of water table and increase in production of food crops and cash crops. Linking ofthe river will create lots of problems due different biological and chemical composition of water of twodifferent rivers. To sort out the water scarcity problem small water structures are best alternative instead oflinking of the river.

UGC Sponsored National Seminar "Linking of Indian Rivers" Boon or Bane". 13-14 September 2013

Department of Geology, S.K.E. Society's G.S. Science Degree College, Belgaum.

2Water Diversion with Sustainable Development Approach: A Case Study ofHivara Nala Stream in Western Akole Tahsil of Ahemadnagar District,

Maharashtra.

Mr. Sainath P. Aher, Mr. Shashikant I. Bairagi, Mr. Ravindra D. Gaikwad

Department of Geography, S. N. Arts, D. J. M. Commerce & B. N. S. Science College, Sangamner,Dist: Ahemadnagar, Maharashtra

E-mail : [email protected]

ABSTRACT

Now a days, the water diversion issue (from surplus to deficit area) swiftly discussing in theenvironmentalist, planners, concern peoples and research community. Evenly, the implementing bodies areeagerly waiting for the green signal from the environmental ministry of India. Hence, this issue need tocareful grip with proper identification of merits and demerits of present water diversion scheme. Everyoneknows that, the water has vital requirement from growing population, increasing industry and changingagriculture. So the available waters micro level planning and equal distribution is the need of incomingfuture with sustainable development approach.

Most of the natural water diversion sites located at the National Water Divider (NWD) line ofIndia. Pravara River is one of the tributary of Godavari River basin, which western part is connected withNWD line in western Ahemadanagar district. From last few decades, the water situations in lower part ofPravara River basin become a very deficit due to population, industry, agricultural and urban areas rapidgrowth. On the other hand, in Konkan region the excessive water is flowing toward Arabian Sea in monsoonseasons. This surplus water is possible to divert in the upper Pravara basin at the source region of the westflowing rivers/streams. Nearby, 5.5 T.M.C. water will be available to the Pravara basin through this waterdiversions scheme implementation.

An attempt has been made here, to present the significance of water diversion in Pravara basin fromeastern Konkan region along with sustainable approach. Similarly, examine the capabilities of Remote Sensing(RS) and Geographical Information System (GIS) for the water diversion planning with minimum time andmaximum welfares. This approach of water diversion issue would be supportive for the further planningprocess with the successful results and regional development.

Key ward: Water Diversion, Pravara River, Sustainable Development, GIS, RS.



3Need of West Flowing Rivers Excessive Water Diversion in Upper GodavariBasin of Maharashtra

*Sainath P. Aher, Amol P. Jarag, Sambhaji D. Shinde andDr. S. S. Panhalkar

*Dept. of Geography, S. N. Arts, D. J. M. Commerce & B. N. S. Science College, Sangamner,Ahemadnagar, Maharashtra.

Department of Geography, Shivaji University, Kolhapur, Maharashtra Email: [email protected]; [email protected]

ABSTRACT

Water is vital requirement of growing population and developing regions for variety of indispensable purpose.The availability of water is uneven in overall region, because of physical and climatic diversity in variousregions. So the available waters micro level planning and equal distribution is the need of incoming future.Thus, the excessive water diversion in drought prone regions way is flattering in this era.

Godavari River basin is 3rd largest basin (312812 sq.km.) in India. But the water situations from last fewdecades become a very deficit in the basin. So, the Godavari River cannot sustain to living population,industry, agricultural and urban area in the basin area. On the other hand, in Konkan region the excessivewater is flowing toward Arabian Sea, which comes from Sahyadri range. This surplus water need to divertin the Godavari basin at the source region of the west flowing rivers/streams. Nearby, 7- 10 T.M.C. waterwill be available to the Godavari basin through this water diversion.

An attempt has been made here, to present the significance of water diversion in Godavari basin fromeastern Konkan region. Similarly, examine the capabilities of Remote Sensing (RS) and GeographicalInformation System (GIS) for the water diversion planning. This Paper is analyzed, all prospective of waterdiversion in Godavari basins with environmental considerations, which will helpful for genuine planning.

Key ward: Water Diversion, GIS, RS, Environment.



4Review of Interlinking of Rivers in Parola Taluka of Jalgaon District,Maharashtra State, India

Sujit Shimpi1 and V. M. Rokade21Department of Geology, Moolji Jetha College, Jalgaon 425 001

Email: [email protected]

2School of Environmental and Earth Sciences, North Maharashtra University,Jalgaon 425 001

ABSTRACT

Interlinking of rivers is one of the most debated subjects in Indian intellectual community. After theinterference of Supreme Court in proposed national level river interlinking project, Government of Indiaappointed a task force of scientists, Engineers, Ecologists, Biologists, social activists and policy makersunder the leadership of Suresh Prabhu. During this time Jalgaon district Collectorate Office and IrrigationDepartment of Maharashtra started interlinking of rivers in Jalgaon district. Under this project Bori andGirna rivers interlinked for the benefits of agriculture and groundwater augmentation in the area. In presentarticle, authors have taken the Geo-environmental review of Interlinking of rivers in Parola Taluka of Jalgaondistrict, Maharashtra.



5Accuracy Assessment of Carto-DEM and SRTM- Data of Panchganga RiverBasin Using Geostatistical Techniques

S.S.Panhalkar, A.P.Jarag and S.D.Pawar*Department of Geography, Shivaji University, Kolhapur

Email: [email protected]; [email protected]*Department of Statistics, Shivaji University, Kolhapur

ABSTRACT

Digital elevation models are best tools for visual and mathematical analysis of topography, landscapes andland forms, as well as modeling of surface processes like river linking. Carto-DEM & Shuttle radartopographic mission (SRTM) has created an unparalleled data set of global elevations that is freely availablefor terrain modeling, and multidisciplinary applications. The global availability of Carto-DEM & SRTMdata provides baseline information for many types of the worldwide research on river linking studies.However, overall assessment of the accuracy of this product requires additional regional as well as globalstudies involving ground truth control and accuracy verification methods with higher level of precision. Forthe present study, Panchganga basin of Kolhapur district, Maharashtra has been selected. The main objectiveof the present study is to assess the accuracy of Digital Elevation model of Carto-DEM and SRTM datawith respect to Geostatistical techniques. Carto-Dem and SRTM data are reprojected and geometricallycorrected to have same projection and datum of GCPs. Ground control points are being used as samplepoints and x, y and z details have been extracted with point based extraction tool of ARCGIS software.RMSE, Statistical techniques and Hotellings T Square test has been carried to assess the accuracy ofCarto-DEM and SRTM data. The analysis reveals that Carto-DEM data is much more accurate andreliable for river linking studies.

Keywords: SRTM, CARTO-DEM, Hotellings T2, Spatial Accuracy.



6Linking of Rivers can be a boon if tackled wisely else it can be a baneDr. V. H. Uttangi

# 1431/ 2, 13th main, B. T. M, 2nd stage, 1st phase,Bangaluru- 560076.

Email: [email protected]

ABSTRACT

Ever since the dawn of human civilization, equal distribution and management of water has been a burningproblem. Though, in the entire universe, as our knowledge, stands today, only the earth is blessed with thisunique, life supporting chemical compound called water, in the liquid state. But unfortunately it is not distributedequally throughout the globe. While some places have in excess of this commodity and others lacking in it.So in both ways it is creating problems. So, it warrants for equal distribution therefore the idea of joiningrivers of our country. But this idea is not a new one, I feel. It might have been already tried in some places,with no success, in small way. We know that the northern rivers of country are perennial and water flows inthem throughout the year, because of the melting of Himalayan glacier during summer and rain water duringmonsoon seasons. So, by joining northern rivers to the south (which are at the mercy of rain) may ease thisproblem to some extent. But the global warming point towards the disappearance or receding glaciers in thefuture, to join and to divert the flow of water from their natural courses will be a Herculean task and time,money and labor consuming. It may also upset the health of environment and create imbalance in theecology. We know that the dynamics of weather and climate are dependent on the differential heating andcooling of land and sea. If there are no deserts and only water the air movement may not be possible, to andfrom. But, if the care is taken to protect the health of the environment while doing so, and make the water toreach the right places, in right amount and right time will be a boon or else we have experience of theconsequence, very recent episodes in the north. Water problem has been the global problem and unfortunatelyit is on the rise. So, it is the judicious usage/management of this precious commodity may prove to be moreviable and prudent way of dealing with this enormous ever increasing problem.



7Linking of Indian Rivers Boon or BanePrakash Kumar Gupta

Department of GeographyMagadh University, Bodhgaya 824239E-mail : Deevakar [email protected]

ABSTRACT

The linking of Indian rivers is an important part for economical development of any country. As we knowthat the rivers of India are mainly controlled by the broad relief features of the subcontinent. Accordinglythe Indian rivers are divided into two major groups. The Himalaya rivers and the Peninsular rivers.

The major Himalaya rivers are the Indus, the Ganga and the Brahmaputra. The rivers are long and arejoined by many large and important tributaries. A large number of the peninsular rivers are seasonal as theirflow is dependent on rainfall during the day season even the large rivers home reduced flow of water intheir channels. The peninsular rivers have shorter and shallower courses as compared to their Himalayacounters however some of them originate in the central high lands and flow towards the west.

The main water divides India in Peninsular India is formed by the Western Ghats which runs from the northto south coast to the western coast. Most of the major rivers of Peninsular such as the Mahanadi toGodavari, the Krishna and the Kaveri Flow eastwards and drain into the Bay of Bengal. The major impactof the whole process regarding Linking of Indian Rivers is use for the development of Indian economy inthe field of Irrigation, improvement of primary sector which is backbone of Indian economy.

Linking of Indian Rivers may also create major problem in the way of flood, over brimming of river createhuman disaster. Rivers have the fundamental importance throughout the human history. Water is the basicnatural resource essential for various human activities therefore the river banks have attracted settlers fromancient times. These settlements have now become big cities in every states which are located on the bankof a river.

Linking of rivers use for irrigation, navigation, hydro power generation is of special significance-particularlyto a country like India where agriculture is the major source of livelihood of the majority of its population.



8Mizoram is one of the Seven Sister States in North Eastern India, having coordinates2156N - 2431N latitudes and longitudes 9216E - 9326E. It shares land borders with thestates- Tripura, Assam, Manipur and countries Bangladesh and Myanmar. Mizoram is a land of rollinghills, valleys, rivers and lakes. As many as 21 major hills ranges or peaks of different heights run through thelength and breadth of the state, with plains scattered here and there. The Mizoram state is practicallyunconnected with the rest of the country. The eastern most state Tripura, of the region is also cut off fromthe main land India. The only connection with the mainland is, through the very long and tedious journeythrough chicken neck corridor. It is high time is to look for some better alternatives to break this land lock,that is possible only through sea route via Kolkata or Rail/ route via Bangladesh.

The recent growth of international ties with Myanmar and Bangladesh to develop the north eastregion as an important international trade and transport hub, has actually opened a bright prospect toconvert the Mizoram Rivers into important water transport resources.

In view of the connectivity of Mizoram Rivers with Barak Brahmaputra-Ganga System tothe north and with the Bay of Bengal to south, it is prime time to work out the navigability of northerlyflowing Tlwang and southerly flowing Kolodyne Rivers, to strengthen the Multi Modal Transport system inthe hitherto landlocked region. Barak River has already become a part of National Waterway-6 (fromLakhipur to Bagha).

The main northerly flowing rivers of Mizoram are, Tlawng, Tut, Tian, Tuichawng, Tuirial, Tuivawl,Teirei, Tuirini and Serlui. The largest of these is the Tlawng (Dhaleshwari) with a length of 185.15 kms.Tlwang,Tuirial and Tuivawl Rivers drain into the Barak River directly. All other rivers meet the Barak River throughindirect and subsidiary channels either via Tripura-Bangladesh or via Manipur. Ultimately, the northerlyflowing rivers of Mizoram, drain into the Barak River and constitute a part of Barak Basin. BarakRiver, in due course drains into Brahmaputra as its left bank tributary.

The southerly flowing rivers of Mizoram constitute part of Kolodyne Basin. The southerlyflowing rivers ultimately drain in the Bay of Bengal, either through Myanmar or through Bangladesh. The

Pros and Cons for Inter Connectivity of Mizoram River toMajor Drainage Systems

Rahul VermaDepartment of Geology,

Pachhunga University College, Aizawl, MizoramE-mail : [email protected]

ABSTRACT



9biggest southerly flowing river in Mizoram is the River Kolodyne (also known as Chhimtuipui Lui in localMizo language). It originates from Chin State in Burma and passes through Saiha and Lawngtlai districts inSouthern tip of Mizoram and is joined by Tio, Mat, Tuichiang and Tuipui in Mizoram. Further, it goes backto Burmas Rakhine state, finally it enters Bay of Bengal at Akyab, a very popular port in Sittwe, Burma.

With a vision of the Look East Policy, India is developing the Sittwe Port in Myanmar at acost of Rs.5.4 billion and the port on the Kolodyne river as a gateway for the northeastern states to themain land India, as the distance between Kolkata and Sittwe is just 600 km,.

For the sake of rapid growth of the whole region, large scale geoenvironmental threats areon the evident. Devastation of local population, destruction of fertile farmland , fishing grounds and mangroveforests, disruption to ecosystem, massive land degradation, active slope erosion, Carbon Foot Prints andEnvironmental Pollution, have resulted as the major consequences. Violation of human right and nonpaymentof compensation, have also been reported. The threat is of an increase the occurrence of floods or droughts,and also of impact on the habitats of endangered species such as Kaldon dolphins, tigers, elephants,rhinoceroses, gibbons, hornbills, and Rakhine forest turtles.

A detailed geological investigation of the two main river systems of Mizoram, may lead to somevaluable information regarding the stretches of deeper and navigable part of these rivers, erosion pocketsand heavily silted patches, in order to demarcate the un navigable parts of these rivers. A careful planningmay lead the way to sustainable and eco friendly growth of the region.



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The Western Ghats is a prominent topographic feature running, parallel to the West coast of India.Considered as a receded fault scarp (Ollier and Powar, 1985), it has developed a narrow

coastal land between the Arabian coastline and the Western Ghat hill ranges. The study area occupyingabout 160 sq.km receives an annual rainfall of ~3884 mm mainly due to SW monsoon

during the months of June to September. In 2005, high rainfall of 554 mm occurred on 25th and 26th July,2005 that resulted in 21 major landslides that disrupted the life and economy of the populace.

The Western Ghat predominantly composed of on the basaltic lava flows of Upper Cretaceous to Eoceneperiod are marked by two major structural/tectonic elements viz. West Coast Fault and Panvel Flexure.The satellite imagery studies further reveal that the area is traversed by number of lineaments, majority ofwhich orient in NNW-SSE and ENE-WSW direction.

Detailed field studies and analysis of landslides on the basis of satellite images revealed that the extensivelandslides took place not only because of unstable slopes but aided by the seismic activities resulting indevelopment of fractures and fissures in the area. Definite dislocation pattern in the landslides has beenrevealed, by the study of 21 major landslides.

Landslide occurrence and its relation to precipitation saturation in parts ofWestern Ghats Escarpments, Raigarh district, Maharashtra; India

Milind A. Herlekar and Suhas KambleDepartment of Geology, University of Pune, Maharashtra, IndiaE-mail : [email protected], [email protected]

ABSTRACT



11

Water is an enigmatic material. One of the rare ones that is found on earth in all the three states ofmatter: solid, liquid and gas. It is also one of the most abundant substances found on earth (covers more than3/4th of the globe), yet is becoming one of the scarcest. It is believed that life on earth began in the primordialseas over a billion years ago. The earliest, simple microscopic life forms later evolved into complex andhigher forms of living organisms in the seas, and later went on to colonise land and fly into air. Every livingbeing is composed of water (60% to 90%). All life forms require water to sustain life processes. So muchso that in ancient human folklore, literature and philosophy, water came to be equated with life.

Out of total water found on earth just about 0.01/0.02 % is fresh water and all living beings on landand air have to share it. Yet quality of life of humans everywhere today largely depends on the availabilityand use of water. And in a country like India it is very much so.

The formation of primitive life on this earth was in water. Life originated and developed in water onthis planet, and then spread onto the land and into air. This made water, land and air zones become alive.(We normally think that the water, land and air are non-living.) The critical balance of life in different medialike land/soil and air is maintained by moisture, i.e., water in different forms.

Man evolved from higher apes in the open, humid terrain along the river valleys of tropical Africa.Hence man is designed for warm, tropical climate. Most human cultures have taken root and flourishedalong rivers. Indus Valley civilisation and ancient Sumerian, Egyptian and Maya empires are good examples.Even today we find that human societies living in tropical, riverine areas usually live in harmony with nature.

Then primitive man began to move out of Africa into western Asia, and later into cold Europe. Tocope with the chilly climate primitive man developed clothing that covered his body in order to reduce heatloss to the surroundings. He began to rely on fire for warmth and protection. This precipitated a surge inhuman exploration and inventiveness which gradually began to give him more influence on the surroundings.And man started exploiting the surroundings instead of living in harmony with it. Then he so-called developedand started exploiting environment more and more. This concept of harnessing of nature arose all over theglobe. And the downfall of environment became assured.

As development and progress became the hallmarks of civilization, the need for water and powerincreased geometrically. Water is required for every human activity. Today, man finds his civilisation in a

Water : Past, Present and FutureS. Y. Prabhu

Department of Zoology, G.S.Science College, Belgaum 590 006E-mail : [email protected]

ABSTRACT



12

state where there is acute shortage of fresh water all over the globe. Increasing urbanization, intensiveagriculture, manufacturing industry, and growing population have resulted in ever increasing demands onfresh water.

India has 2% of the globes land and about 2% of the fresh water available on the planet. Yet India islargely successful in feeding and sustaining 16% of the worlds population. That perhaps makes us the mostefficient user of natural resources in the world - even more than China. But of late, in recent decades,disputes have arisen with neighboring China, Pakistan and Bangladesh over the sharing of river waters.There are indications that these disputes may become more serious even dangerous in future.(Futurologists and intellectuals fear that the Third World War would be triggered by disputes over water!)

Northern India is supplied water from Himalayan glaciers by a network of major rivers which havemade it one of the most productive lands on earth. Southern India gets its water from the Monsoons, partof which is stored in tanks and lakes, and it is supplied to deficient areas by rivers, and during the dry seasonfrom the tanks. Rivers also help drain excess water from land.

Underground water is regularly charged during rainy season. It is also a major source of fresh waterin the USA, China, India and the Middle East. Underground water is interconnected by intricate aquifersystem. After the rainy season is over, these aquifers supply fresh water during the lean periods of the year.Overexploitation of this water for urban needs, agriculture and industry is already causing alarmingenvironmental problems. Certain industrial activities are likely to cause irreparable damage to aquifers andput human civilization, and nature to a certain extent, into grave crisis.

Hence, I feel that humans should:1. Protect these aquifers on highest priority: no developmental activities in

catchment areas. Let the human activities be far away.2. Take measures to recharging the aquifers to restore the lost ground water levels.3. Reduce per capita use of water by increasing efficiency.4. Introduce water cooperation at local and international levels.5. Allow development programmes only on the assured water availability.6. Agricultural crops should be grown on the basis of soil condition and water availability. Should not

promote water-intensive crops in water deficient areas.7. Mandatory recycling of water.8. Indians should design our own Water Use model - not copy irrelevant western models.



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I believe that the thought of linking rivers is itself a Recipe for disaster, Despite of its numerous positiveimpacts, The linking of different river basins will change the natural drainage pattern of the basins, in turnchanges Hydrological character of the basins, every water shed has its unique character depending on theregional physiographic which in turn determines the rate of rain fall, evaporation, infiltration, runoffcharacteristics, ground water availability, peak flow etc. Water transfer from surplus basin to deficit basinseems to be unscientific because every basin has its unique and independent character, linking will changethe geomorphology and sedimentary load of the river and this will permanently alter the individual basincharacteristics, hence also altering the ecology of the region.

Further there is possibility that the designed structure to link the rivers will prove to be practically inefficientin the future when the basin characters change or the river itself changes its direction which usually happensover a period of 70 100 years. Its a natural phenomenon which cannot be altered.

Considering the problem of pollution , if water from polluted rivers is diverted to healthy rivers the result ispollution of healthy rivers, for example if the Yamuna and Ganga are linked , the contaminated Yamuna willpollute the Ganges any may also alter the concentration of Bacteriophages present in the ganga ,which helpin purification of the water

It is a myth that interlinking of rivers will solve the problem of water shortage and food production, in factthe use of excessive water for irrigation along with the rampant use of chemical fertilizers will soon reducethe production of food grain as well as pollute the ground water, It may cause formation of barren landwhich may remain uncultivable.

Also linking of rivers could have a drastic effect on downstream ecology, decrease in downstream flow,mineral content, reduced sediment load, reduced fresh water inflow in the sea will jeopardize aquatic life,this will cause a loss to fishery and wildlife disturbing the bio diversity and as a result damaging the ecologyof the region. Also the project may result in Deforestation for creation of dams, canals and other structuresand have an ecological impact especially in Forest prone areas which lie within the vicinity of the project.

Further there is possibility of submergence of land, water logging and eutrofication which could serve as abreeding ground for water born diseases, will also cause massive human displacement and rehabilitation tonew areas as large areas needs to be converted to canals and dams this will pose additional problems.

The ecological, economic & social costs of interlinking rivers will be enormous and will alter the naturaldrainage system permanently and cause an irreparable ecological hazard, as the project goes against basicprinciples of sustainability. Rivers are an integral part of an ecosystem, Rivers are not pipelines; they arelifelines which support the whole ecosystem.

Linking of Indian Rivers A CatastrophePrashant Katti,

Department of Civil Engineering, MIT Kundapura, KarnatakaE-mail : [email protected]

ABSTRACT



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Water is treated as liquid gold since it is sacred and precious natural resource for health and wealthof the humanity. It is one and only the life sustaining elements of nature and second to air for survival ofmankind and live stock on the earth. Earth is the only planet at present contains liquid water. The spatial andtemporal uniformity in rainfall may possibly meet the water requirements for the various sectors such asAgriculture, Power, Industries, Domestic requirements etc., for the overall development of a region orcountry, If non uniformity is observed it results in the flooding situations in certain areas and drought conditionsin some areas which have adverse impacts on the socio economic growth of a developing country. Thegovernment of India is spending enormous amount every year to overcome these natural unforeseen calamities.To protect a region or country from floods and droughts, it is inevitable to have a remedy/solution totransfer the water from surplus basin to deficit basins. The concept of Inter basin & Intra basin watertransfer can provide unique solution for the dual problems faced by the country like India.

India having geographical area of 328 MHa stands as Seventh largest country in the world. Thetotal water potential of India per annum is 4 x 106 Mm3 (4000 km3) including snow fall out of which 1.887x 106

Mm3 (1887 Km3) flows as river water. At present 1.033 x 106

Mm3 (1033 Km3) of water is utilizedand balances as 0.854 x 106

Mm3 (854 Km3) flows into sea and oceans. Also India experiences/ blessedwith good rainfall in majority of the areas and scanty rainfall in few locations. The magnitude of averagerainfall in North Eastern states of India is about 300 cm and less than 15 cm in North Western parts in thearid and semiarid regions. For the effective management of rain water in India the only alternative is toimplementing Inter basin & Intra basin concepts.

As per the studies conducted by NWDA(National Water Development Agency) about all riverbasis of India, it is remarked that Inter basin Water transfer is quite possible. NWDA proposed linking ofIndian rivers under two components namely Himalayan and Peninsular components comprising perennialand non perennial rivers. Thus 30 links are proposed for benefiting water deficit basins from surplus basins,thereby flooding situations can be reduced and drought impact may be minimized to uplift for social andeconomical growth of India. The present paper throws a light on present rainfall and water potential scenarioof India pertaining to interlinking of rivers which is on the top agenda of the country.

Inter and Intra basin Water Transfer - A Unique solution fordual problems in India

Dr. H. Mahabaleshwara1 and H.M. Nagabhushan2,

1. Professor & Former Principal, R.Y.M Engineering College, Bellary2. Professor & Dean, R.Y.M Engineering College, Bellary

E-mail : [email protected]

ABSTRACT



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INTRODUCTION

The concept of the Inter basin water transfer is to be explored and implemented to ensure uniform

distribution of available natural water resource and to mitigate the consequences of hydrologic extremes offloods and droughts. The implementation of Inter basin water transfer is the need of the hour for theoverall development of a country like India in which population is growing at an alarming rate. Also theInter basin water transfer helps to prevent the formation of deltas along the coast line and migration ofpeople from drought affected regions.

India has 1/6th of the global population and 1/25th of worlds water resources, but the water availabilityis highly uncertain both in time and space due to its peculiar monsoonal climate. About 70 % of thepopulation directly or indirectly depends on agriculture, in the back drop of economic growth fromindustrialization. The urban population in the country is increasing at faster rate which requires theestablishment of basic infrastructure, amenities and increase in food production. It is essential to convertrain fed crops into irrigation crops. At present the average food production is about 1.4 Ton/Ha whichneeds to be increased to 3.0 ton/Ha. Out of the net sown area of 140 M Ha, the rain fed area is about 80M Ha and remaining 60 M Ha is under irrigation. Nearly 78% of water harnessed is being used forirrigation and the balance 22% is used for domestic and Industrial requirements.

The basins of Ganga, Brahmaputra, Meghana and west flowing rivers constitute 27% of the drainagearea and receive 72% of total rain fall of India. The important river basins of India are shown in Figure andthe detail is presented.

The available storage in all reservoirs and tanks is only 55% of available surface water, considering 1.5times filling. Hence it is required to utilize remaining 45% of surface water by creating the additionalstorage. The irrigation commission in 1972 has identified 67 drought prone districts comprising 326 talukslocated in 8 states having an area of 49.73 M Ha. Subsequently the national commission on agriculture in1976 identified few more drought prone areas with slightly different criteria. The state wise drought affectedareas are shown in the Table



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The Criteria adopted to declare drought occurrence in an area are

1. When the annual rainfall is less than 75% of the normal in 20% of the years examined.2. When less than 30% of the culturable area is irrigated.

The revised study made by Central Water Commission (CWC) in 2006 reveals that 51.12 M Ha area isdrought affected in 74 districts. Thus in comparison to total geographical area of the country about 1/6th is

drought prone area, Figure 1.2 shows location of drought prone areas of India.

Drought affected States

SNo State Area (Ha) Drought area (Ha) %1 Karnataka 19177000 15240095 792 Andhra Pradesh 27662000 12562382 453 Maharastra 30776000 12418056 494 Tamil Nadu 13007000 8327617 645 Rajasthan 34222000 21408800 636 Gujarat 19598000 12091618 627 Orissa 15578000 2290000 15

As per international standards per capita water requirement is 1700 m3 per year. If the availability is lessthan 1000 m3, it is considered as water scarcity. If it ranges between 1000-1700 m3 it is treated as waterstressed. India with present availability of about 1600 m3 is under water stress condition. The North Eastriver systems namely Ganga and Brahmaputra contribute 60% to nations water resources where as 3major southern river systems viz Godavari, Krishna and Cauvery contribute 6%, 4% and 1% respectively.The annual rainfall over the country is ranging from 10cm in Rajasthan to 1100 cm at Chirapunji in Assam.



WATER CRISIS SCENARIO IN INDIA

The estimated drought prone area is 51.12 M Ha and flood prone area is 33.52 M Ha. By 2025 theestimated per capita availability of water may go down to 1340 m3/year, thus nearly 60% of Indian populationwill be living in water stress conditions. India produces about 200 Million Tons of food grains to feed thepopulation of about 110 crores. In next 50 years the population is expected to grow to 160 crores, necessitatingfood production of 450 Million Tons. The country is to gear up to achieve it with proper perspective andvision. The culturable command area in the country is about 184 M Ha and the net sown area is about 140M Ha.

RIVER BASIN MAP OF INDIA

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1. Indus 6. WFR1 11. EFR2 16. Pennar2. Mahi 7. WFR2 12. Ganga 17. Subernareka3. Narmada 8. Brahmani & Baitarani 13. Godavari 18. Brahmaputra4. Sabarmati 9. Cauvery 14. Krishna 19. Meghana5. Tapi 10. EFR1 15. Mahanadi



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WATER RESOURCES OF INDIAN RIVER BASINS

TRWR Total Renewable Water Resources

PUWR Potentially Utilizable Water Resources

1 Indus 73.3 46 14.3 60.3 1501 12352 Mahi 11 3.1 3.5 6.6 1649 9903 Narmada 45.6 34.5 9.4 43.9 2542 24484 Sabarmathi 3.8 1.9 2.9 4.8 631 7975 Tapi 14.9 14.5 6.7 21.2 831 11836 WFR1 15.1 15 9.1 24.1 257 4097 WFR2 200.9 36.2 15.6 51.8 3871 9988 Brahmani & Baitarani 28.5 18.3 3.4 21.7 1703 12969 Cauvery 21.4 19 8.8 27.8 656 85210 EFR1 22.5 13.1 12.8 25.9 1169 134611 EFR2 16.5 16.7 12.7 29.4 423 75312 Ganga 525 250 136.5 386.5 1418 104413 Godavari 110.5 76.3 33.5 109.8 1441 143114 Krishna 78.1 58 19.9 77.9 1133 113015 Mahanadi 66.9 50 13.6 63.6 2463 234116 Pennar 6.3 6.3 4.04 10.9 440 76217 Subernarekha 12.4 6.8 1.7 8.5 829 56818 Brahmaputra 585.6 24.3 25.7 48 17661 144819 Meghana 48.4 1.7 8.5 10.2 4830 1018

S.No Name ofBasinTRWRKm3

PUWR Km3

SurfaceWater

GroundWater

Total

Water resources available per capita m3

TRWR PUWR



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1 Andhra Pradesh 27.51 1.39 5.05 0.702 Assam 7.84 3.15 40.18 1.3053 Bihar 17.39 4.26 24.50 1.5664 Gujarat 19.60 1.39 7.09 0.3625 Haryana 4.42 2.35 53.17 1.0956 Himachal Pradesh 5.57 0.23 4.13 -7 Jammu and Kashmir 22.22 0.08 0.36 0.0128 Karnataka 19.18 0.02 0.10 0.0019 Kerala 3.89 0.87 22.37 0.01110 Madhya Pradesh 44.34 0.26 0.59 -11 Maharastra 30.77 0.23 0.75 0.11012 Manipur 2.23 0.08 3.59 0.07313 Meghalaya 2.24 0.02 0.89 0.07514 Orissa 15.57 1.40 8.99 0.35115 Punjab 5.04 3.70 73.41 2.40716 Rajasthan 34.22 3.26 9.53 0.01617 Tamil Nadu 13.01 0.45 3.46 0.02918 Tripura 1.05 0.33 31.43 0.00919 Utter Pradesh 29.44 7.34 44.93 0.73920 West Bengal 8.88 2.65 29.84 1.00121 Delhi 0.15 0.05 33.33 0.02322 Pandicherry 0.05 0.01 20.00

Total 33.52 9.776

AREA LIABLE TO FLOODS

SNo State Geographicalarea (M Ha )

Area liable toflood (M Ha )

Area protected( M Ha )%



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NECESSITY OF THE STUDY

As long as spatial and temporal uniformity in occurrence of rainfall is present, the water deficit and excessconditions do not arise. If not, the available water must be utilized properly by storage and transfer so as tosatisfy the various needs uniformly over the entire country. In India the monsoons are highly orographiccausing floods in North and North Eastern region and drought in other areas. The solution for storage andtransfer lies in much talked about interlinking of rivers or inter basin water transfer. As the Govt. of India isspending huge amount of money every year towards the relief of floods and drought, it is worth while tospend on inter basin and intra basin water transfer schemes keeping long term benefits in view. Moreover theinter basin water transfer is the only solution to maintain regional balance in all sectors like Agricultural,Industrial, Power generation, Domestic, Navigation etc.

EXISTING INTER BASIN WATER TRANSFER PROJECTS IN INDIA AND OTHERCOUNTRIES

The concept of Inter basin water transfer is not new. In fact it was practiced in India and other countries longback and most of the projects of water transfer are still functioning well. Consequently many projects oflarge scale water transfer have been planned and some of them are implemented.

Examples of Inter basin water transfer in India

Periyar - Vaigai project (Kerala state 1985) Kurnool - Cuddapah Canal ( Andhra Pradesh 1863-1870) Parambikulam - Aliyar project (1962-82) Telugu - Ganga project Beas - Sutlej Link (1983) Indira Gandhi Nahar project ( Rajasthan canal, 1958) Sarada - Sahayak Project (1960 ) Ramganga - Ganga Link (1978) Tungabhadra - Pennar project Mahi project Tehri Multipurpose project



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OTHER COUNTRIES

CANADA : In Canada 16 inter basin water transfer schemes have been implemented for hydropowerdevelopment.

USA : In United States, the California state water project, first phase of which was completed in 1973,provides for the diversion of 4 Km3 of flow from surplus Northern California to the deficit central andsouthern parts of the state.

CHINA: In China there are schemes existing from ancient times which are recently supplemented by modernconstruction techniques. Now China is also planning for transfer of 48 BCM of water from South to Norththrough a Grand Canal close to Eastern coast. Recently completed projects in China include Biliuha-Dalianinter basin water supply system.

U.S.S.R : Among the Inter basin water transfer projects planned and implemented in USSR, the notablescheme executed in the central Kazakistana is Irtysh Karganda scheme

NEW PROPOSALS FOR INTER BASIN WATER TRANSFER IN INDIA

The concept of Interlinking of rivers was initially proposed by Sir Arthur Cotton in the year 1850 forInland navigation purpose. Later in 1972 the then Central Irrigation Minister Dr K.L.Rao proposed Ganga-Cauvery link. In 1977 Captain Dastur proposed Garland of canal around the Himalayan, Central and PeninsularIndia. Later, Ministry of Water Resources and Central Water Commission formulated a National PerspectivePlan (NPP) in 1980 to study water resources development in the country and transfer of water from surplusbasin to deficit one to minimize regional imbalance. NWDA (National Water Development Agency) wasformed under NPP to further investigate and explore the possibilities of interlinking of rivers. The broadobjectives of NWDA are

1. To promote systematic and scientific study of interlinking of rivers.

2. To carryout detailed study, survey, investigations of Peninsular and Himalayan rivers.

3. To identify possible water transfer projects/links to carry water from surplus basin to deficit one aftermeeting the existing and proposed needs.

4. To prepare feasibility reports of various components of Himalayan and Peninsular rivers.

After thorough investigations NWDA proposed to transfer 173 BCM of water through 12,500 Kmlength of canal. As per NWDA, Inter basin water transfer is proposed in two components namely (1)Himalayan component and (2) Peninsular component. The proposed national water grid is given inFigure below. In this figure numbers 1-30 refer to the links considered under Himalayan (1-14) andPeninsular (15-30) components as listed below.



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HIMALAYAN COMPONENT

This component mainly proposes to link Brahmaputra and its tributaries with the river Ganga and Gangawith Mahanadi. In addition it also proposes to transfer surplus flows of the Eastern tributaries of Ganga tothe West. This component envisages construction of canal systems and storage reservoirs on the principaltributaries of Ganga and Brahmaputra rivers in India, Nepal and Bhutan. This component would provideadditional irrigation to about 22 MHa and power generation of about 30000 MW besides flood control inBrahmaputra and Ganga basins. The 14 links of Himalayan component are

1 Brahmaputra-Ganga 8 Chemar- Sone barrage link2 kosi-Ghagra 9 Sone dam-southern Ganga3 Gandak-Ganga 10 Ganga Damodar Subernarekha4 Ghagra- Yamuna 11 Subernarekha- Mahanadi5 Sarada-Yamuna 12 Kosi-Mechi6 Yamuna-Rajastana 13 Farakka-Sunderban7 Rajastana-Sabaramati 14 Brahmaputra-Ganga(Jogighopa-Tista-Farakka)

15. Mahanadi (Manibhadra) - Godavari 16. Godavari (Inchampalli) - Krishna(Dowleswaram) Link (Nagarjunasagar) Link

17. Godavari (Inchampalli Low Dam) 18. Godavari (Polavaram) - Krishna - Krishna (Nagarjunasagar Tail pond) Link (Vijayawada Link)

19. Krishna (Almatti) - Pennar 20. Krishna (Srisailam) - Pennar(Bukkapatnam) Link (Mylavaram )Link

21. Krishna (Nagarjunasagar) - Pennar 22. Pennar (Somasila) - Cauvery (Somasila)Link (Grand Anicut) Link

23. Cauvery (Kattalai) - Vaigai - Gundar Link 24. Ken - Betwa Link25. Parbathi - kalisindh Link 26. Par - Tapi - Narmada27. Damanganga - Pinjal Link 28. Bedti - Varda Link29. Netravathi - Hemavathi Link 30. Pamba-Achankovil - Vaippar Link



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PENINSULAR COMPONENT

In this component a network of interconnected river basins of Peninsular India is considered. NWDAcarried out water balance studies of all the major river basins such as Mahanadi , Godavari , Krishna,Pennar , Cauvery , Vaigai, West flowing rivers of Kerala , Karnataka , North of Bombay and South ofTapi and Southern tributaries of Yamuna to find out water surplus and deficit basins. The 16 links ofPeninsular component are given below.

From Peninsular Component it is possible to irrigate about 13 M Ha and about 4000 MW of Hydropowercan be generated. The Peninsular component utilizes 69.6 TMCum of water. This component involves theconstruction of storage reservoirs at potential sites in addition to the existing /ongoing reservoirs and anetwork of canals for water transfer. The following Table gives the details of proposed Interlinking ofrivers.

Proposed National Water Grid (NWDA)



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Details of Interlinking of Rivers

SNo Particulars Himalayan Peninsular TotalComponent Component

1 Link Canal 14 16 302 Major Reservoirs 9 27 363 Total Length of Link Canals (Km) 6100 4780 108804 Transferable Water (Km3) 33 141 1745 Power Generation (MW) 30000 4000 340006 Project Cost of Irrigation unit( Crores ) 185000 106000 2910007 Project cost of Hydropower Unit (Crores) 269000

1. Additional Irrigation: 35 M Ha2. Hydropower generation : 34000 to 40000 MW3. The Cost of the project : Rs 5,60,000 crores ( as per 2002 estimate)4. Water utilization : 20.96 MHa m5. Execution period : 40 years6. Agricultural production : 250 to 450 Million Tons7. Total length of canals : 10880 Km8. Cost per Ha : Rs 750009. Water availability : 1122 m3 / capita / year10. Flood control

Area can be protected : About 40 M Ha Population protected : About 260 Million Financial savings : About 1200 crores per year

11. Drought protection Population benefited : About 86 Million States benefited : 14 Districts benefited : 116 Financial benefit : About 1200 crores per year

12. Rivers involved : 3713. Reservoirs involved : 60

SALIENT FEATURES OF INTER BASIN WATER TRANSFERS IN INDIA



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MERITS AND DEMERITS OF INTER BASIN WATER TRANSFER MERITS1. Possible to utilize the water resources uniformly and economically to yield Significant output.2. Enhancement in Irrigation potential and power generation3. Provides ample surface water to meet the growing needs of Domestic and Industries.4. Scopes for Inland Navigation which reduces stress on existing communication system.5. It minimizes the intensity of drought and floods.6. It helps to increase per capita income.7. Reduces the exploitation of ground water as surface water is made available in abundant.8. Huge employment generation9. Development of fisheries10. Salinity control11. Recreation facility12. Infrastructural development13. Socio economic development14. Considerable improvement in ground water potential15. Control in migration16. Conversion of barren land into culturable land17. Reduction in formation of further deltas in coastal zones.18. Minimization of the relief expenditure towards floods and droughts.

DEMERITS1. Large area liable for submersion due to construction of reservoirs and canals2. Adverse effects over ecological system3. Difficult to solve Interstate or International water disputes4. Legal problem in sharing the water5. Cost of the project and recurring expenditure for maintenance are high6. Water pollution in conveyance7. Loss of water in conveyance through the canals8. Land acquisition and rehabilitation problems9. Requires afforestation to compensate for loss in green10. It is a long term project which may cause large variation in estimation11. Serving for high altitude areas needs pumping of water which requires huge power and maintenance.12. Needs huge debate at micro level and macro level on the issue to convince the public.13. Problems of soil erosion and sedimentation14. In undulated zones it may required to construct large number of cross drainage works.



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ESSENTIAL STUDIES AND ANALYSESTo prepare a project report of water transfer scheme between two basins, the following studies andanalyses are essential.

1. Water balance studies2. Toposheet studies3. Ecology and environmental impact assessment4. Existing utilization and surplus of surface and sub surface water5. Existing Irrigation, Industrial, domestic, power generation and other usages6. Making International treaty and bilateral agreement between related states regarding water sharing.7. Survey and Investigations8. Water resources and hydrology9. Preparations of plans, designs and estimates10. Benefit cost ratio and financial returns.11. Optimization studies for managing water resources

CONCLUSIONSThe hydrological extremes of floods and droughts will have adverse effects on social and economical

development of a country or region. The unique and long term solution for dual problem is inter basin watertransfer. The study proves to be an authentic reference and resource for the planners, field engineers,administrators, researchers and the general public dealing with water resource exploitation, utilization andtransfer. The following conclusions are drawn out of this work.

The next 50 years in India would witness a very large growth of urban centers. Many large urbancenters would grow into metropolitan centers and meeting their water requirements would pose newchallenges. The food production has to grow proportionally necessitating more allocation of water forirrigation. The inter basin water transfer proves to be the best option for the policy planners, administrators,professionals, media, NGOs and public to meet the challenges of the future. The entire surface waterresource of the country is to be treated as national property so as to make its development and utilizationuniform for the overall development of the country.Remote sensing and GIS tools can be utilized to carryout the hydrological, drainage, seepage and socio-economic analysis and the environmental impactassessment of the proposed water transfer projects. The basins of the water transfer scheme can bestudied by developing digital elevation models (DEM) which help to generate the stream networks map,slope and aspect ratios of the basins.



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REFERENCES :1 Jonathan L Chenoweth, Hector M. Malano & Juliet. F. Bird Integrated River Basin management

in the Multi-Jurisdictional River Basin: The Case of the Mekong River Basin Journal of WaterResources Development vol 17, No 3, 2001, P 365-377

2 NWDA (National Water Development Agency) India A study on Inter- basin Water Transfer inIndia

3 Rajiv K Gupta Human Rights Dimension of Regional Water Transfer: Experience of the SardarSarovar Project Journal of Water Resources Development Vol 17, No 1, 2001, P 125-147

4 Dr A.K.Chakraborty Interlinking of Rivers How can we use Space Technology to Resolve Survey& Investigation Issues National Seminar on Inter-Basin transfer of water in India Prospects andFeasibility, P 10.1-10.5

5 S.V.Chitale Inter-basin Transfer by Water Grid Caution and Precaution The Indian Society forHydraulics, Journal of Hydraulic Engineering , 2006, Vol 12(2), P 1-6

6 Ramaswamy. R.Iyer Linking of Rivers: Vision or mirage? Published in Indias National Magazine,The Publication of The Hindu Vol 19 December 2002, Issue 25, P 1-7

7 W.G.Yeh Reservoir Management and Operational Models A state of the Art Review, WaterResources Research, Vol 21, 1985, P 1797-1818

8 Charles Revelle, Edward Joeres and William Kirby The linear Decision rule in reservoir managementand decision Development of the stochastic model Water Resources Research, Vol 4,1969, P767-777

9 K.Can and Mark H.Houck Real-Time Reservoir Operation by Goal Programming Journal ofWater Resource Planning and Management, ASCE Vol 110, 1984, P 297-309

10 Slobodam,P.Simonovi Reservoir System Analysis: Closing Gap between theory and Practice Journalof Water Resources Planning and Management ASCE , Vol 118,1992, P 262-280

11 H.Mahabaleswara & G.Abbaiah Inter-basin Water Transfers and Resolving Conflicts InternationalConference on Hydrology and Watershed Management, 5-8 December 2006, Hyderabad

12 H.Mahabaleswara, Dr.G.Abbaiah Interlinking of Rivers National Conference on Hydraulics andWater Resources with Special emphasis on Interlinking of Rivers, held at Bharathi VidyapeethaDeemed University College of Engineering, Pune (Maharashtra India ) 8-9 December 2006



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Linking of Indian rivers to satisfy the water needs and control the floods

M. P. Itnal1, A. G. Ugarkar2 and Chandan Kumar B21Senior Geophysicist, Office of the Deputy Director. Dept. of Mines & Geology, Mangalore-1

2Department of Studies in Geology, Karnataka University, Dharwad- 3Email: [email protected]; [email protected]

ABSTRACT

In India, especially in the northern and the eastern parts, the floods are the recurring feature affecting the

states of Uttar Pradesh, Assam, Bihar and West Bengal. This recurring feature of the floods is commonly

found in Brahmaputra and Ganga Basin, in which almost 60% of the river flows of our country occur. On

the other hand, there are major areas in the states of Rajasthan, Gujarat, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh andMaharashtra that face major draughts every year. Almost 80% of draught laden areas of the country areconfined in these states. Since more than three decades, many debates have taken place regarding linking

of Indian rivers, its advantages and disadvantages. Although, there are disadvantages in the longer run, the

advantages are relatively more. In the present paper, an attempt has been made to suggest a holistic

approach for interlinking of Indian rivers by taking into account the physiography, topography,

geomorphology, tectonic aspects, major lineaments, elevations, alignment of mountain ranges, soil coverand geological aspects to suit the optimum need of natural gravity flow of water from one basin to another.



INTRODUCTION

Rivers have been of fundamental importance throughout the civilization, human history and habitation, andhence, the river banks have attracted settlers from ancient times. These settlements have now become bigcities wherein the rivers are being used for domestic, irrigation, navigation and hydro-power generationpurposes. But, settlements along the river banks accompanies risk viz., the floods which destroys the livesand property, sometimes on a huge scale. In India, especially in the northern and the eastern parts, thefloods are the recurring feature affecting the states of Uttar Pradesh, Assam, Bihar and West Bengal. Thisrecurring feature of the floods is commonly found in Brahmaputra and Ganga Basin, in which almost 60%of the river flows of our country occur. Flood damages, which were Rs. 52 crores in 1953, have gone upto Rs. 5,846 crores in 1998 with annual average being Rs. 1,343 crores, affecting the states of Assam,Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal along with the human casualties and sufferings. On the other hand,there are major areas in the states of Rajasthan, Gujarat, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtrathat face major draughts every year. Almost 80% of draught laden areas of the country are confined inthese states. Thus, in some parts of the country floods occur throughout the monsoons, while in someparts either there is insufficient or no monsoons. Keeping in view of these aspects, the most debated mega

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proposal, the linking of Indian Rivers is an idea of transferring the surplus water from an area to an areawith no water.

In the year 1975, the then Minister for Irrigation, Mr. K. C. Rao, proposed a 2640 km long linkbetween the Ganga and Cauvery rivers. In 1982, the National Water Development Agency (NWDA) wasset up to carry out surveys of the links and prepare feasibility studies. However, the idea of linking rivers forvarious purposes in the Indian Subcontinent is not a new concept. Sir Arthur Cotton conceived a plan tolink rivers in southern India for inland navigation in the 19th century (Shukla and Asthana, 2005). Sincemore than three decades, many debates have taken place regarding linking of Indian rivers, its advantagesand disadvantages (Bagla, 2006; Verghese, 2003; Bandyopadhyaya and Perveen, 2003; Falkenmark etal., 1989; Nair and Radhakrishna, 2005; Rath, 2003, Shiva, 2003; Sharma et al., 2006; Sinha et al., 2005;Snaddon et al., 1999; Valdimir, 2006; Vombatkere, 2003). Although, there are disadvantages in the longerrun, the advantages are relatively more, and needs a thorough study and appropriate implementation of theproposal considering various aspects and limitations of environmental and ecological issues, rehabilitation/relocation and political aspects, financial constraints, physiographical and geological aspects, compatibilitywith social and environmental protection groups etc., which indeed, a difficult task practically. Thus, for oneor more reasons, the linking of rivers project stands still, without any optimistic proceedings to implement it.However, on 27th February, 2012, the Supreme Court of India ordered the Government of India to reconsiderthis project for implementation. So it came as no surprise when in December 2012, Indian Governmentannounced progress on plans to connect 37 rivers across the nation through 31 links with 9,000 km longcanals, saying such a project was feasible, for which an estimate costs about $140 billion (Rao, 1975).India accounts for 15% of the world population and 4% of the worlds water resources. The per capitawater availability in India was 5177 m3/year during 1951 and has decreased to 1544 m3/year during 2011.If annual per capita water availability is below 1700 cubic meter, then the region is called water stressedand if it is below 1000 then the region is termed as water scarce. Per capita annual water availability (m3/capita/year) in India is expected to decrease to around 1200 m3/year by 2030. In the present paper, anattempt has been made to suggest a holistic approach for interlinking of Indian rivers by taking into accountthe physiography, topography, geomorphology, tectonic aspects, major lineaments, elevations, alignment ofmountain ranges, soil cover and geological aspects to suit the optimum need of natural gravity flow of waterfrom one basin to another. Also, it is stressed to find a most economical way out of the relief and to transferthe inter basin water through the artificially built canals and aqueducts across the interbasin and intrabasin

topography.

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