River Linkage – Is it good or bad choice.

There is no civilization without water. The very existential contributor to human life on Earth is water.

India's economy is mainly dependent on agriculture. Three-fourths of India's economy is dependent on agriculture. 67% of land is covered under agriculture. With more land covered under agriculture and based on the facts and figures of productivity of the food grains required, the question that arises is "will India's water bodies fill up,especially in the southern India where water bodies are rain-fed

Out of the total water available, we utilise only 1 percent of it and that it is not available to all. To control the flow of water and make the best use of it, water works have been taken up since the beginning of human civilisations. The Ancient Egyptians, Babylonians, Romans, Cholas, and virtually every civilisation have built canals and dams to irrigate their farmlands. In the modern era, the Colorado Aqueduct (US), the National Water

Carrier (Israel), the Cutzamala System (Mexico), and the as yet incomplete South North Water Transfer Project (China) are examples of large national interbasin transfer (IBT) projects aimed at improving agriculture, alleviating , and providing drinking water to parched areas. Now India is likely to join this league by restarting its National River Linking Project (NRLP).

History of NRLP (National River Linking Project (NRLP)

Linkage of has been proposed as a solution for this problem since the independence. The water is main input to the agriculture and also an important element for the life of human kind, its optimal utilization is necessary. In India, the first idea of river linkage was proposed by Sir Author Cotton, who is famous for the completion of Dowleswaram Barrage on Godavari river. Though, the idea interested then governor general, Lord Dalhousie, it didn’t go forward due to want of funding.

The idea was revived after nine decades by young engineer and pilot Captain Dinshaw J. Dastur. In his plan,Capt. Dastur initiated the concept of a “Garland Canal” around the Himalayan, Central and Peninsular India. Impressed with his plan, his friend Homi Bhabha got him an introduction to Jawaharlal Nehru. But due to postpartition problems, the plan was shelved. Meanwhile, the famous civil engineer and the then Minister Dr.

K.L. Rao came up with his own plan to interlink of rivers by connecting the Ganga with the Cauvery river in the year 1972.

The ILR Programme is aimed at linking different surplus rivers with water-deficient rivers so that the excess water from the surplus region is tapped. The benefits are increased irrigation intensity, water availability for drinking and industrial purposes and tackling and floods. Annual food grain production is estimated at 200 million tonnes and an increasing population has pushed the need for more production. The ILR programme has been planned at the intra- and inter-basin levels and expected to provide additional irrigation in about 35 million hectares and boost power generation to 30,000 MW. The canals built would also boost water-ways for navigation,reducing the pressure on road/rail transport and be cost-effective. According to an estimate by WHO, economic losses due to floods and during 1990-2001 stood at $4,604 million. This ILR programme has been estimated to help increase access to safe drinking water which is at present 92% in urban and 86% in rural of the population have access to safe water supply

The main objectives of the task force were:

(i) To bring about a consensus among the states on inter-linking of rivers,

(ii) To provide guidance on the norms of appraisal of individual projects, and

(iii) To work out the modalities of project funding.

The task force would get the logistic support and assistance from the National Water Development Agency (NWDA).

On December 29, 2004, the Centre scrapped the Task Force on Interlinking of Rivers, constituted by the previous National Democratic Alliance government, and announced the setting up of a Special Cell in the Ministry of Water Resources. The Special Cell would look after the residual routine works of the task force and take necessary follow up actions on the interlinking of rivers programme

However, many doubts are being raised about the success of the inter-linking project. According to critics, the scheme is very costly and is prone to environmental and rehabilitation problems. States have divergent views regarding the surplus water. For example, Orissa does not believe that Mahanadi has surplus water. Similarly, Andhra Pradesh is not ready to give Godavari waters to any river. Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh are not in agreement over inter-linking of small rivers such as Ken and Betwa. Karnataka is opposed to the inter-linking of Netravati and Memavati rivers.

Experts have also raised serious reservations about some of the NWDA’s claims. Let us look at the claim of controlling and the assumption that the Ganga, the Brahmaputra, the Mahanadi and the Godavari are water surplus.

From being a river which supported inland trade and passenger traffic 150 years ago, the Ganga has become a silt-chocked shadow of its former self. The British used it to ship their troops from Bengal to Kanpur and Delhi during the 1857 War of Independence. Today, the Calcutta port is so silted up that crores of rupees have been invested to build another port at Haldia.

It was to overcome the silting of the Calcutta port that the Farakka barrage was constructed to divert more water to the “Indian” stream. While Farakka has led to drastically reduced water flows to Bangladesh and resulted in constant diplomatic attrition with that country, it has not been able to save the Calcutta port. Where has this water gone?

One, the source of the river is drying up, like almost all other Himalayan rivers. It is well known that the Gangotri glacier which feeds the river has receded by over 14 km in the last century alone. Two, increasing amounts of the river’s waters are already being used for irrigation as well as urban needs. Moreover, almost half of the Ganga’s water at Patna originates in Nepal which has its own “plans” to develop its hydrological resources. Once these come up flows would be further reduced in the Ganga.

Similar stories puncture the claims of the Brahmaputra, the Mahanadi and the Godavari being water surplus. In any case, the riparian states through which these rivers pass have their own plans to use this “surplus”.

There will also be the challenge of maintaining ecological balance and/or resetting people moved out when the canals are built. India’s record of rehabilitating people affected by public-work programmes has not been too good in the past.

According to critics, the project should have been preceded by a detailed assessment of its financial viability, technological capability, ecological sustainability and political feasibility. Unfortunately, the NWDA is yet to publish any “Detailed Project Report” though it has conducted some “Feasibility Studies” over the past two decades.

It was the former Union Minister of Irrigation and Power, Mr KL. Rao, who, in 1972, first presented his plan to link the Ganga and the Cauvery. In 1974, a similar proposal of a “garland” canal was submitted by Captain Dastur. The government prepared its own plan in 1980 and in 1982 the NWDA was set up to carry out detailed studies on the issue.

Benefits of River Linking 1. The agricultural output will increase 100 per cent in coming five years. This would by and large prevent the occurrence of famine in India. 2. Due inter basin water ways, crude oil usage will come down, which will save a lot of valuable foreign exchange. 3. Thanks to the improved food security, country’s security scenario will improve. 4. About 4lakh new jobs will be created in coming 10 years. 5. The frequent occurrence of floods in North and Northeastern ndia can be mitigated. 6. Water paucity issues can be very well addressed. 7. Development of transportation through waterways. 8. The annual average income of farmers may rise from present Rs. 2,500 per acre to Rs. 30,000.

Limitations of River Linking

1. Large scale deforestation and resultant soil erosion will cause very high environmental damage. 2. Rehabilitation of the displaced is always a problem. The social and political unrest will be crated due to the problems in implementation of the project. 3. Our relations with Pakistan and Bangladesh will be hampered.

Myriad Problems: The success of National River Linking Project:

Depends on so many factors, which have to be carefully taken into factor integrated into the planning and implementation of the project. Particularly the states that have excess water flows shall give their consent to shift them to other states. They may be reluctant to give such nod eyeing their future needs. Political interests of the parties will complicate the entire issue. The project will succeed only if geological, hydrological and regional conditions are appropriately positioned. The environmental safeguards shall be implemented meticulously. All the departments shall be coordinated properly to complete this gigantic project. Though river linking is great idea, its execution is fraught with myriad problems.

Without water nothing is possible, save water, save life, save earth. Every year we celebrate 22th march is world water day. Under the theme 'Water and Sustainable Development', the year 2015