River interlinking, the fount of environmental disaster

Context: On December 25, 2024, Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation
stone for the Ken-Betwa River Link Project, which aims to solve the water
scarcity in the Bundelkhand region that covers parts of Uttar Pradesh and
Madhya Pradesh. The project also includes the construction of a dam located
within the Panna Tiger Reserve, raising concerns about its submergence. Upon
completion, this project will link the supposed water surplus Ken River with
the Betwa in drought-stricken Bundelkhand which had a 58% forest cover in 1938.

Key points

·       Overview: River
Interlinking projects (RIP) is to ensure greater equity in the distribution of
water by enhancing the availability of water in drought prone and rain-fed
areas. It is also known as the National Perspective Plan (NPP).

·       National
Perspective Plan (NPP): It was prepared by the then Ministry of Irrigation
(now Ministry of Jal Shakti) in 1980.

Objective - Water resources
development through inter-basin transfer of water, for transferring water from
water surplus basins to water-deficit basins.

·       Significance
of the River Interlinking Projects: Reducing Regional
Imbalance - India depends on monsoon rains that are erratic as well as
regionally imbalanced. The interlinking of rivers will reduce the amount of
surplus rain and river water which flows into the sea.

Irrigation for
Agriculture - Interlinking can provide a solution to the rain-fed irrigation problems
of Indian agriculture through the transfer of surplus water to deficit regions.

Reducing Water
Distress - This can help in mitigating the effect of drought and floods to a
certain extent.

·       Ecological
and environmental issues: There are knowledge gaps between the claimed
benefits and potential threats from environment and ecological impact. Feasibility
of flood control and drought protection is under question because almost all
rivers own very less water than required in lean season and lean season of
almost all rivers is similar due to monsoon nature of India.

·       Socio-Economic
Issues: The need of massive storage capacities will cause displacement of
vulnerable (Tribals, villagers, etc.), poor river and ground water quality and
fertile land and forest submergence. India has yet to rehabilitate approx. 50%
of people displaced due to previous water storage facilities.

·       Technological
Developments: Cost of power generation by solar power projects
would be below Rs. 1.0 per Kwh in a few years. India has yet to manage its
water leakage problem in cities and rural areas, the leakage situation in river
and canal linking via tunnel and pipe will make the situation worse.

·       Conclusion: To mitigate the
increasing demand of water and minimise the effects of flood and drought we must
focus on the small-small, decentralised water conservation program to fulfil
local needs instead of mega projects.