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Proponents of the rivers inter-linking projects claim the answers to India's water problem is to conserve the
abundant monsoon water bounty, store it in reservoirs, and deliver this water using rivers inter-linking project
to areas and over times when water becomes scarce.[4] Beyond water security, the project is also seen to offer
potential benefits to transport infrastructure through navigation, as well as to broadening income sources in rural
areas through fish farming. Opponents are concerned about knowledge gap on environmental, ecological, social
displacement impacts as well as unseen and unknown risks associated with tinkering with nature.[2] Others are
concerned that some projects create international impact and the rights of nations such as Bangladesh must be
respected and negotiated.[6]
1 History
2 The need
3 Plan
3.1 Himalayan component
3.2 Peninsular Component
3.3 Intra-state inter-linking of rivers
4 International comparisons
5 Discussion
5.1 Costs
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Population increase in India is the other driver of need for river inter-linking. India's population growth rate has
been falling, but still continues to increase by about 10 to 15 million people every year. The resulting demand
for food must be satisfied with higher yields and better crop security, both of which require adequate irrigation
of about 140 million hectares of land.[1] Currently, just a fraction of that land is irrigated, and most irrigation
relies on monsoon. River inter-linking is claimed to be a possible means of assured and better irrigation for
more farmers, and thus better food security for a growing population.[1]
Navigation
India needs infrastructure for logistics and movement of freight. Using connected rivers as navigation is a
cleaner, low carbon footprint form of transport infrastructure, particularly for ores and food grains.[1]
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The National perspective plan envisions about 150 million acre feet
(MAF) (185 billion cubic metres) of water storage along with building inter-links.[14] These storages and the
interlinks will add nearly 170 million acre feet of water for beneficial uses in India, enabling irrigation over an
additional area of 35 million hectares, generation of 40,000 MW capacity hydro power, flood control and other
benefits.
The total surface water available to India is nearly 1440 million acre feet (1776 billion cubic meters) of which
only 220 million acre feet was being used in the year 1979. The rest is neither utilized nor managed, and it
causes disastrous floods year after year. Up to 1979, India had built over 600 storage dams with an aggregate
capacity of 171 billion cubic meters. These small storages hardly enable a seventh of the water available in the
country to be utilized beneficially to its fullest potential.[14] From India-wide perspective, at least 946 billion
cubic meters of water flow annually could be utilized in India, power generation capacity added and perennial
inland navigation could be provided. Also some benefits of flood control would be achieved. The project claims
that the development of the rivers of the sub-continent, each state of India, as well as its international neighbors
stand to gain by way of additional irrigation, hydro power generation, navigation and flood control.[14] The
project may also contribute to food security to the anticipated population peak of India.[14]
The Ganga-Brahmaputra-Meghna is a major international drainage basin which carries more than 1,000 million
acre feet out of total 1440 million acre feet in India. Water is a scarce commodity and several basins such as
Cauvery, Yamuna, Sutlej, Ravi and other smaller inter-State/intra-State rivers are short of water. 99 districts of
the country are classified as drought prone, an area of about 40 million hectare is prone to recurring floods.[14]
The inter-link project is expected to help reduce the scale of this suffering and associated losses.
The National Perspective Plan comprised, starting 1980s, of two main components:
1. Himalayan Rivers Development, and
2. Peninsular Rivers Development
An intrastate component was added in 2005.
Himalayan component
Himalayan Rivers Development envisages construction of storage reservoirs on the main Ganga and the
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The Himalayan component would consist of a series of dams built along the Ganga and Brahmaputra rivers in
India, Nepal and Bhutan for the purposes of storage. Canals would be built to transfer surplus water from the
eastern tributaries of the Ganga to the west. This is expected to contribute to flood control measures in the
Ganga and Brahmaputra river basins. It could also provide excess water for the Farakka Barrage to flush out the
silt at the port of Kolkata.
Fourteen (14) inter-links under consideration for Himalayan component are as follows, with feasibility study
status identified:[15]
GhagharaYamuna link (Feasibility study
complete)
SardaYamuna link (Feasibility study complete)
YamunaRajasthan link (Feasibility study
complete)
RajasthanSabarmati link (Feasibility study
complete)
KosiGhaghara link
KosiMechi link
ManasSankoshTistaGanga link
JogighopaTistaFarakka link
Peninsular Component
This Scheme is divided in four major parts.
1. Interlinking of Mahanadi-Godavari-Krishna-Pennar-Cauvery,
2. Interlinking of West Flowing Rivers, North of Bombay and South of Tapi,
3. Inter-linking of Ken with Chambal and
4. Diversion of some water from West Flowing Rivers
This component will irrigate an additional 25 million hectares by surface waters, 10 million hectares by
increased use of ground waters and generate hydro power, apart from benefits of improved flood control and
regional navigation.[14]
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2 projects, Jharkhand 3 projects and Tamil Nadu proposed 1 inter-linking proposal between rivers inside their
respective territories.[18] Since 2005, NDWA completed feasibility studies on the projects, found 1 project
infeasible, 20 projects as feasible, 1 project was withdrawn by Government of Maharashtra, and others are still
under study.[19]
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Other completed rivers inter-linking projects include the Marne-Rhine Canal in France,[31][32] and the
All-American Canal and California State Water Project in the United States.[33]
Costs
The rivers inter-linking feasibility reports completed by 2013, suggest the following investment needs and
potential economic impact:
Inter-link
project
Length
(km)
Estimated
Cost in the
year 2003 or
earlier#
New
irrigation
capacity
added
(hectares)
Potential
Electricity
generation
capacity
Drinking
&
Industrial
water
added
(Mm3)
Reference
KrishnaPennar
Link
587.2
6599.80 crore
(US$1.0 billion)
258,334
42.5 MW
56
[34]
Godavari
Krishna Link
299.3
26289 crore
(US$4.2 billion)
287,305
70 MW
237
[35]
Parbati
Kalisindh
Chambal
243.7
6114.5 crore
(US$970 million)
225,992
17 MW
89
[36]
Nagarjunasagar
Somasila Link
393
6320.54 crore
(US$1.0 billion)
168,017
90 MW
124
[37]
231.5
1988.74 crore
(US$320 million)
47,000
72 MW
2,225
[38]
Srisailam Pennar
Link
203.6
1580 crore
(US$250 million)
187,372
17 MW
49
[39]
Damanganga
Pinjal Link
42.5
1278 crore
(US$200 million)
44
[40]
Cauvery-VaigaiGundar Link
255.6
2673 crore
(US$420 million)
337,717
185
[41]
PolavaramVijayawada Link
174
1483.91 crore
(US$240 million)
314,718
72 MW
664
[42]
Mahanadi
Godavari Link
827.7
17540.54 crore
(US$2.8 billion)
363,959
70 MW
802
[43]
Par Tapi
Narmada Link
395
6016 crore
(US$950 million)
169,000
93 MW
91
[44]
Pamba
Achankovil
Vaippar Link
50.7
1397.91 crore
(US$220 million)
91,400
500 MW
150
[45]
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#The
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cost conversion in US $ is at latest conversion price on the historical cost estimates in Indian rupees
International issues
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Misra et al. in their 2007 report,[6] claim inter-linking of rivers initially appears to be a costly proposition in
ecological, geological, hydrological and economical terms, in the long run the net benefits coming from it will
far outweigh these costs or losses. However, they suggest that there is a lack of an international legal framework
for the projects India is proposing. In at least some inter-link projects, neighboring countries such as Bangladesh
may be affected, and international concerns for the project must be negotiated.
Political views
BJP-led NDA government of Atal Bihari Vajpayee had mooted the idea of interlinking of rivers to deal with the
problem of drought and floods afflicting different parts of the country at the same time.[10]
The congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi said in 2009 that the entire idea of interlinking of rivers was
dangerous and that he was opposed to interlinking of rivers as it would have "severe" environmental
implications. BJP MP Rajiv Pratap Rudy suggested that Gandhi should do some research on the interlinking of
rivers and its benefits and then arrive at a conclusion. Jairam Ramesh, a cabinet minister in former UPA
government, said the idea of interlinking India's rivers was a "disaster", putting a question mark on the future of
the ambitious project.[50]
Karunanidhi, whose DMK has been a key ally of the Congress-led UPA at the Centre, wrote that linking rivers
at the national level perhaps is the only permanent solution to the water scarcity problem in the country.
Karunanidhi said the government should make an assessment of the project's feasibility starting with the
south-bound rivers. DMK for 2014 general elections added Nationalisation and inter-linking of rivers to its
manifesto.
Kalpasar Project is an irrigation project which envisages storing Narmada River water in an off-shore fresh
water reservoir located in Gulf of Khambhat sea for further pumping to arid Sourashtra region for irrigation use.
It is one of the preferred project for implementation by the newly elected Prime Minister of India, Narendra
Modi.[51]
Kalpasar Project
Water export
Electricity sector in
India#Solar power
Land
reclamation
Seven Islands
of Bombay
Farakka
Barrage
Geography of
Nepal
Geography of
Sri Lanka
Geography of
Bangladesh
Major and medium dams & barrages location map in India (http://india-wris.nrsc.gov.in
/wrpapp.html?show=JI00410/)
The Guardian's Ravi S Jha writes on the project (http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2013/feb
/05/india-river-link-plan-progress-slow)
BBC report on the Project (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/3050485.stm)
BBC Report on Bangladeshi objections (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/3148355.stm)
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