INTERLINKING OF RIVERS
SAIVIVEK.M
OUTLINE
• INTRODUCTION
• HISTORY
• NEED FOR INTERLINKING OF RIVERS
• NATIONAL WATER DEVELOPMENT AGENCY & IT’S
PRESENT PLAN
• EXISTING INTER BASIN PROJECTS
• ADVANTAGES & DIS ADVANTAGES
• CONCLUSION
INTRODUCTION
Interlinking of rivers literally means joining of natural channels.
Diversion of river waters for cultivation of crops has been taking place
from historical times. The earliest of diversion by anicuts have taken
place in South India from the time of the Chola Kings.
India has a vast geographical area of 329 mha. It’s water resources are
unevenly distributed in time and space.
HISTORY
Arthur Cotton was the first person who originally conceived the idea
of networking the rivers about two centuries ago
The concept of interlinking of rivers evolved during 1950’s. At that
time, the UN promoted such projects as part of “Stability
and Peace”.
Many countries, after gaining independence from colonial powers
wanted to express their national confidence through such major
projects. The interlinking of Indian rivers proposal originated at the
same time as the world became fascinated with large water
infrastructure projects.
HISTORY
● First envisioned KL Rao in 1972 as the Ganga-Kaveri project
● Revived by by Captain Dastur in the 1977s as “a garland of
rivers”
● In the back burner of NWDA since 1980
NEED FOR INTERLINKING OF RIVERS
As per internationally accepted standards if annual per capita
water availability is
Below 1700- region is termed as water stressed
Below 1000- region is termed as water scarce
India’s position
India accounts for 15% of the world population and 4% of the world’s
water resources
Utilization surface water: 690 BCM/year
Replenishible Ground Water: 432 BCM/year
Total: 1132 BCM/year
NEED FOR INTERLINKING OF RIVERS
Per capita annual water availability (cu.m/capita/year)
The past
1951-5177
2001-1820
Future estimates
2025-1341
2050-1140
NEED FOR INTERLINKING OF RIVERS
Uneven water availability
India has highly uneven water availability in space and time
The country receives rain fall for only 3-4 months
The Brahmaputra-Barak-Ganga basin accounts for 60% of surface water
resources
This region is also rich in ground water
Western and southern India experience severe deficit in both surface and
ground water.
60% of the country experiences water deficit, while parts of the country
suffer from floods
NEED FOR INTERLINKING OF RIVERS
REQUIREMENT OF WATER
PURPOSE OF USE VOL. BILLION CU-M
Irrigation 1,060
Domestic water supply and live 90
stock
Agriculture 600
Industry 64
Energy 50
Total 1,864
MAJOR RIVER SYSTEM
.
India is blessed with many rivers. Out of these,12 are classified as
major rivers whose total catchment area is 252.8 mha
RIVER CATCHMENT AREA IN mha
Ganga-Brahmaputra-Meghna 110
Indus 32.1
Godavari 31.3
Krishna 25.9
Mahanadi 14.2
NATIONAL WATER DEVELOPMENT AGENCY
● National water development agency (NWDA) was set up in July, 1982 as
Autonomous Society under the Societies Registration Act, 1860 under Ministry
of Water Resources .
● It carries out the water balance and other studies on a scientific and realistic
basis for optimum utilisation of Water Resources of the Peninsular Rivers
System .
● In 1990 NWDA was also entrusted with the task of Himalayan Rivers
Development Component of the National Perspective.
● NWDA has so far identified and investigated 16 links for peninsular rivers and
14 for the Himalayan Rivers and has carried out pre-feasibility studies with
respect to about 6 of them.
● According to the directive of the Supreme Court , the Task Force has been set
up with a time bound mandate of taking various steps towards the
implementation of the project in a period of 10 years at a tentatively estimated
cost of Rs. 5,60,000 crore.
NATIONAL PERSPECTIVE FOR WATER RESOURCES
DEVELOPMENT
National Perspective Plan
comprises of two main
components
a) Himalayan component
b) Peninsular component
SALIENT FEATURES OF PROJECT
30 River Links
Involving 37 Rivers
No of reservoirs: 60 (Rainer Horig)
Estimated cost: Rs 5,60,000 crores
Estimated submergence
16,75,000 ha (Rainer Horig: 6,25,000 ha for canals and
10,50,000ha for reservoirs)
Estimated displacement:
0.45 M (official document)
3.47 M (Rainer Horig)
EXISTING INTER BASIN TRANSFER PROJECTS
The periyar Project, Parambikulam Aliyar Project, Kurnool-Cudappah
Canal and the Telugu Ganga Project in the south and inter sub-basin
transfers in the Indus basin and Rajasthan canal project in the north
are good examples of inter basin water transfers executed in India in
19th and 20th centuries
ADVANTAGES & DISADVANTAGES
Expected benefits:
Surface water irrigation: 25 million Ha
Ground water irrigation: 10 million Ha
Hydropower generation: 34 million KW
12 billion cubic metre of drinking, municipal and industrial water
Improved agriculture: It will help in ensuring food security
Flood and drought control
Alternative means of transport: river transport is a cheap and non-
polluting
Higher GDP growth: creation of more employment opportunities will
approximately lead to a 4% growth in the GDP.
Lead to national unity and national security
ADVANTAGES & DISADVANTAGES
Disadvantages:
● Criss-cross construction of dams and canal systems, which will cause
displacement of people
(5 miliions – Rain Horig paper , 0.45 millions NWDA report)
● Submergence of land, forests and reserves
(1,675,000 ha land including 50,000ha rich forest land)
● Negative impact on flora and fauna.
ADVANTAGES & DISADVANTAGES
DISADVANTAGES
Marine life is deprived of nutrient supply and marine productivity
could get adversely affected
Intensification of summer monsoon in the Bay of Bengal
Entire communities, villages, tribes & cultures will be dismembered
Raising inter state disputes & political fights
ADVANTAGES & DISADVANTAGES
Disadvantages:
Stated 5,60,000 crores initial estimate in 2002 prices
Task force agrees Rs 1,00,000 crores exceeds
Funding involves large loans from WB ,ADB etc..
Private equity involves BOT type deals. Step towards privatization of
water resources ?
OTHER OPTIONS ?
Flood Management & Drought Management
Irrigation & Agriculture
Food Production
Power
Flood Management & Drought Management
Rain water harvesting
Groundwater recharge
Watershed management, by creating local water systems
IRRIGATION & AGRICULTURE
Increase irrigation efficiency
Appropriate cropping pattern
Reduce siltation of reservoirs
Manage reservoirs for optimum benefits
Desilt tanks and other local water systems
FOOD PRODUCTION
Increase yield: Indian irrigated yield is 2.5 t/ ha on average, the world
average is over 4 t/ha
Similarly there a big scope for increasing the rainfed yield
Appropriate cropping pattern
Innovations like SRI: System of Rice Intensification
POWER
Reduce T&D losses from 40% average national figure
End Use efficiency (CFLs: upto 10 000 MW saving possible)
Less than 10% of large dams have hydropower component
CONCLUSION
THANK YOU
