The Proposed Ganges-Cauvery Link Canal
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THE PROPOSED GANGES-CAUVERY LINK CANAL A recent handout of the United Nations gives details of the proposed scheme of linking the Ganga with the Cauvery which is claimed to be one of the world's largest engineering projects. The U. N. team which studied the project at the instance of the Government of India have concluded that the ambitious project is technically feasible and vitally necessary for the development of the water resources in the country. ,.:~ .( ." .....r-: IV E: p '....,.... .4 I.. ~: ..., .~",/ ... '.....: -; ~ J",._.t......,.......:- ' .. '" CAL-CUlT. 0 A p.AeIAN sEA BAV OF BENGAL TAIVANDRUM PROPOSEO GANGES CAUVERY LINK CA]'.;AL The scheme first conceived by the Central Water & Power Commission is designed to link all the major rivers of India-the Ganges, Brahmaputra, Narmada, Tapi, Godavari, Krishna, Pennar and Cauvery-by means of a 3000 km long canal. When completed, it is said, it would revolutionize inland transportation by creating a navi gable system equal to the combined length of the Rhine, Danube and Vistula water ways of Europe. The project is expected to cost $ 4,000 million and take 25 years to complete. According to the leader of the U.N. team Joseph Barnea, an Israeli National Resources Economist and Director of the United Nations Resources and Transport UNITED NATIONS PROJECT REPORT 437 Division, the project would lead in the long run to very important changes in regard to water power and transport, and the location of mining and other industries in India. The following are the broad details of the scheme. Annually 25 billion cubic metres of water are to be lifted from the Ganges river near Patna up 460 metres to reservoirs on the Chotanagpur plateau. From these reservoirs the water, coursing across the Deccan plateau through a 3,300 km network of aqueducts, gravity canals, tunnels, natural water courses and reservoirs, will flow into the southern and western rivers. This network will consist of three main segments; linking the Ganges to the Narmada, the Narmada to the Godavari, and the Godavari to the river Cauvery. Through the Narmada river, water would be supplied to existing and planned irriga tion systems in Gujarat and Rajasthan. The canal net work is expected to become a major navigational route for ferry ing bulk cargo from the south to the industrial and population centres of the north as well as to the major seaports of the country. The scheme is expected to minimise the impact of draughts by bringing under irrigation vast areas of culturable land. The objective is to more than double the presently irrigated area from 8 million to 19 million hectares. Another important recommendation of the U.N. study is the creation of a national power grid. Lifting the requisite quantities of water from the Ganges would require nearly 7,500 megawatts of power. This is about half the power that is being generated in India today. But by 1990, when the power will be needed, the United Nations report projects that this quantity would be only 6 per cent of the total power generated in the country, and would be only 2 or 3 per cent of the nation's power capacity in the year 2000. It is claimed that one immediate benefit of the canal project would be the alleva tion of unemployment among engineers and technicians. Thousands of engineers, technical experts and support personnel would be required for carrying out surveys and investigations. When construction begins, the project will provide jobs to tens of thousands of workers and engineers. It is estimated that over the next 25 years period, annually a sum of $ 150 million will have to be spent to provide the canal and navigational facilities. It is stated that sufficient industrial potential exists in the country to supply the necessary build ing material and hydraulic equipment. The project is going to pose a big challenge to the technicians and engineers in the country..