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Interlinking of River Basins-A Review

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International Journal of Civil, Structural, Environmental and Infrastructure Engineering Research and Development (IJCSEIERD) ISSN(P): 2249-6866; ISSN(E): 2249-7978 Vol. 4, Issue 2, Apr 2014, 33-46 © TJPRC Pvt. Ltd. INTERLINKING OF RIVER BASINS-A REVIEW MARY C. GEORGE1, PRAKASH D. KORGAONKAR2 & K. GEETHA3 1,2M.E Student, Water Resources Engineering, YTCEM, Maharashtra, India 3Visiting Professor, YTCEM, Maharashtra, India ABSTRACT The interlinking of rivers is a major endeavor to create additional storage facilities and transfer water from water-surplus regions to more drought-prone areas through inter-basin transfers. Interlinking of major rivers in India, aims at modifying the acute spatial inequity in the availability of water resources in India. An integrated approach becomes necessary when dealing with resources such as water, which transcend state boundaries and form lifelines for entire communities. River deltas and drainage areas suffer from disequilibrium in water supplies that may necessitate the transfer of water from surplus to deficit areas. The concept of inter-basin transfer on a large scale has been under consideration for some time. The idea was mooted in as early as 1926 by Sir C.P. Ramaswamy Aiyarand then by K.L. Rao and Capt. Dastur in 1970 and 1980, respectively. Some of the benefits due to interlinking of rivers are in the area of irrigation, flood prevention, hydropower generation, navigation etc., whereas the area of concerns are ecological issues, deforestation, aqua life, submergence of habitable or reserved lands, displacement of people, etc. This paper highlights the concept of inter-basin transfer of water, related issues and concerns of interlinking of rivers, economic and ecological benefits leading to sustainable development of region as well as adverse impacts due to inter-basin water transfer. KEYWORDS: Cloud Seeding, Cost Benefit Project, GIS (Geographical Information System), Tunnel, Zero Land Acquisition Cost INTRODUCTION The availability of freshwater at various spots on the Earth's terrestrial surface will continue to be determined by the hydrological cycle, till such a time when technologies like desalination of seawater is practiced on a reasonably extended scale. The rapid growth in the demand of freshwater driven by growth in the global population and of the economies, has led to this natural resource becoming scarce in many parts of the world. As a result, the ratio between the number of people and the available water resource is worsening day by day. By 2020, the global population is projected to touch 7.9 billion, which is 50 percent larger than that in 1990 [1]. It is a boon that water constitutes more than three fourths of the area of the earth and hence, it is designated, appropriately, as ‘watery planet’ or ‘blue planet’. Of the total water resources of the earth, the un-utilizable component accounts for more than 99%, this includes 97.2% of oceanic waters, 2.15% of glaciers and icecaps comparatively; a trivial quantity of less than 0.4%, including 0.3% of usable groundwater and even less percentage surface water is available for direct consumption. Thus, the utilizable surface water constitutes a very meagre percentage in the total global water resources. Hence, proper planning is essential for judicious utilization of this precious commodity for striking an appropriate balance between demand and availability, and availability and utilization at the global, regional and local levels for the sustainability of their ecosystems. There the concept of basin www.tjprc.org [email protected] 34 Mary C. George, Prakash D. Korgaonkar & K. Geetha transfer or interlinking comes. In the global picture, India is identified as a country where water scarcity is expected to grow considerably in the coming decades. Further, drought conditions are resulting from climatic and geographic variability and cause considerable human suffering in many parts of the country, in the form of scarcity of water for both satisfaction of domestic needs and for crop protection. The spatial and temporal variations in the rainfall over India has led to denotation of water ‘surplus’ and water scarce river basins in the country. The project for interlinking of rivers of India is a desire of the political leadership of the country to bring a permanent solution to the negative impacts of drought and water shortages in these parts [2]. Such a desire is, without question, worthy of applause because satisfaction of domestic water needs should be considered as a human right and be given the top priority. The project for interlinking the rivers in India aims at transferring water from water ‘surpluses to the water scarce basins if any. STATUS OF WATER RESOURCES OF INDIA The average annual rainfall in India is about 1170 mm [3]. This is considerable variation in rain both temporarily and spatially. Most rain falls in the monsoon season (June-September), necessitating the creation of large storages for maximum utilization of the surface run-off. Within any given year, it is possible to have both situations of drought and of floods in the same region. Regional varieties are also extreme, ranging from a low value of 100 mm in Western Rajasthan to over 11,000 mm in Meghalaya in North-Eastern India. Possible changes in rainfall patterns in the coming decade, global warming and climate change and other predicted or observed long-term trends on water availability could affect India’s water resources. Table 1: Land and Water Resources of India Particulars Quantity Geographical Area 329 million ha Flood Prone Area 40 million ha Total Cultivable Land Area 184 million ha. Net Irrigated Area 50 million ha Natural Runoff (Surface 1869 Cubic Water and Ground Water) km. Estimated Utilizable 690 Cubic km. Surface Water Potential Groundwater Resource 432 Cubic km Available Groundwater 361 Cubic km. resource for Irrigation Net utilizable Groundwater 325 Cubic km. resource for irrigation Water Resource India, National Institute of Hydrology. Website: www.nih.ernet.in; Source: National Institute of Hydrology HISTORICAL ASPECTS Human beings started diversion of water from local resources ever since, they started agriculture, by construction of earthen “anicuts” across local streams. The “grand anicut” of the 2nd century over the river Cauvery, recorded to be functioning till mid -19th century providing irrigation to 25,000 hectares resisting the impact of floods for 1600 long years, was the earliest known major diversion undertaken in India. Since historical times irrigation canals were developed by Cholas, Pandyas rulers of Vizianagarm and Kakatiyas for diverting the waters from Cauvery, Tungbadhra and Vaigai. The western Yamuna Canal and Agra Canal were built during the Mughal reign. The British rulers in India proposed to Impact Factor (JCC): 5.7179 Index Copernicus Value (ICV): 3.0 Interlinking of River Basins-A Review 35 link Calcutta, when it was the capital, with Karachi and Madras through a link canal combining all the rivers in the peninsula. Later they did not pursue the matter further, probably because the capital was shifted, the expenditure was huge, and their interests were probably more vested than rested on the welfare of India. Sir Arthur Cotton, the pioneer of modern irrigation, constructed anicuts over the rivers Krishna and Godavari for diversion of the waters [4]. In the recent past the proposal of interlinking rivers was put forth by Minister for Irrigation K. L. Rao in 1972.He proposed a 2640 kilometer long link between the Ganges and Kaveri rivers. A few years later, Captain Dastur, a pilot speculated aloud about a lateral Himalayan canal from the Ravi to the Brahmaputra along a constant 400-metre contour interconnected with a Garland Canal girdling peninsular India. But ideas like the Garland canal and the Ganga-Cauvery Link were routinely dismissed as too grandiose for a resource-strapped nation. Based on the various studies, National Water Development Authority (NWDA) has identified 30 Inter Basin Water Transfer Links under the National Perspective Plan for preparation of feasibility reports. A vivid understanding of the present proposal can be derived from Figure 1, ‘Proposed Inter Basin Water Transfer Links’. [5] NECESSITY TO CONSERVE FRESH WATER The need to conserve water arises from its wide applications. Water is absolutely important to sustain flora, fauna and human life. This highlights its first importance. But other than this primary use of water there is a wide application of freshwater as enlisted below. Agriculture The most important use of water in agriculture is for irrigation, which is a key component to produce enough food. Irrigation takes up to 90% of water withdrawn in some developing countries. Drinking Figure 1: Proposed Inter Basin Water Transfer Links www.tjprc.org [email protected] 36 Mary C. George, Prakash D. Korgaonkar & K. Geetha The human body contains from 55% to 78% water, depending on body size. To function properly, the body requires between one and seven liters of water per day to avoid dehydration; the precise amount depends on the level of activity, temperature, humidity, and other factors. Washing The propensity of water to form solutions and emulsions is useful in various washing processes. Many industrial processes rely on reactions using chemicals dissolved in water, suspension of solids in water slurries or using water to dissolve and extract substances. Washing is also an important component of several aspects of personal body hygiene. Transportation The use of water for transportation of materials through rivers and canals as well as the international shipping lanes is an important part of the world economy. Chemical Uses Water is widely used in chemical reactions as a solvent or reactant and less commonly as a solute or catalyst. Heat Exchange Water and steam are used as heat transfer fluids in diverse heat exchange systems, due to its availability and high heat capacity, both as a coolant and for heating. Cool water may even be naturally available from a lake or the sea.
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