The interlinking of rivers can provide viable solutions to the multi-dimensional inter-related problems of droughts, floods, and interrupted navigation. Critically examine.(UPSC IAS Mains 2020 General Studies Paper – 1)
River interlinking can provide realistic solutions to the multidimensional interconnected challenges of droughts, floods, and navigation disruption. Northern mountains major sources of perennial rivers. The National Water Development Agency (NWDA) of India has proposed connecting the country’s rivers. The interconnection of rivers is made up of two parts: the Himalayan and the Peninsular. All interconnecting schemes strive to transfer water from one river system to another or to elevate water over natural basins. The project will construct 30 linkages and nearly 3000 storage tanks to connect 37 Himalayan and Peninsular rivers, forming a massive South Asian water infrastructure.
Major Benefit of River linking Projects
- Agricultural Crisis: River linking will minimise farmers’ reliance on unpredictable monsoon rainfall. It will supply irrigation to a large number of locations. The amount of land irrigated will grow by around 15%. It will result in an additional 35 million hectares of irrigation in the water-stressed western and peninsular areas.
- Interconnecting rivers is a method of transferring excess water from high-rainfall areas to drought-prone areas. It can thus control both floods and droughts.
- Indian agriculture is mostly dependent on the monsoon. When the monsoons behave unpredictably, this causes challenges in agricultural productivity. When irrigation facilities improve, this problem will be solved. The initiative would provide irrigation services in water-stressed areas.
- Perennial Rivers Are Not So Perennial: According to a new analysis of rainfall data, monsoon shortages rise in river basins with abundant water while decreasing in regions with scarcity.
Challenges of River linking Projects
- The project is expected to cost approximately almost Rs.6 lakh crores. There is also the demand for massive constructions. All of this necessitates a high level of engineering ability. As a result, the cost and human requirements are enormous.
- It will result in widespread deforestation and land submergence, resulting in deforestation and soil erosion. (For example, the Ken-Betwa link project threatens over 4,000 hectares of forest land, or 8% of the Panna National Park).
- Domestic and regional geopolitics are crucial in ILR talks. There is currently no mechanism in place to deal with issues relating to inter-basin transfers. Important institutional and legal challenges must also be resolved.
- River interconnection is an expensive project. The project’s large expenditures and maintenance costs will result in a massive financial burden. This could cause the government fiscal challenges that are difficult to manage.
The government could instead consider the National Waterways Project (NWP), which “eliminates” conflict between states over river water sharing by using only extra flood water that would otherwise go into the sea.
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