This article is based on the Editorial " River interlinking, the fount of environmental disaster " that appeared in The Hindu on 9th January 2025.
Recently, Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone for the Ken-Betwa River Link Project.
The Indian rivers interlinking project is a proposed large-scale engineering initiative. It aims to link rivers through reservoirs and canals to improve irrigation, recharge groundwater, reduce floods and address water shortages.
The idea of river interlinking was proposed over 130 years ago by Sir Arthur Cotton, who designed irrigation systems in the Godavari and Krishna river valleys. This concept was later refined by M. Visvesvaraya, a prominent Indian engineer.
In the 1970s and 1980s, K.L. Rao and Captain Dinshaw J. Dastur expanded the idea under the name ‘National Water Grid.’ The concept resurfaced as the ‘River Interlinking Project’ (ILR) under the Ministry of Water Resources.
The National Water Development Agency (NWDA) was created in 1982 to:
The NWDA identified 30 links under the National Perspective Plan, classified into 14 Himalayan and 16 Peninsular links.
India has 18% of the global population but only 4% of the world's water resources.
India receives an average of 4,000 billion cubic metres of rainfall annually, concentrated in a 4-month monsoon period (June–September). Rainfall distribution is uneven, with the east and north receiving more, while the west and south receive less. This variation, combined with extreme weather events like floods during excess monsoons and droughts during deficient monsoons, exacerbates the water demand-supply gap, worsened by a rising population.
Proponents argue that river interlinking can conserve and store monsoon water in reservoirs and channel it to water-scarce areas, addressing irrigation, drinking water, and industrial demands. Additional benefits include improved transport infrastructure via navigation, hydropower generation, and enhanced rural livelihoods through fish farming.
Opponents highlight the environmental, ecological and social displacement risks. They also raise concerns about unpredictable consequences of altering natural systems and the potential for international conflicts if projects impact shared rivers.
The Indian Rivers Interlinking Project is divided into three components:
The project is managed by the National Water Development Agency (NWDA) under the Ministry of Jal Shakti. NWDA has conducted studies and prepared reports for:
In a nutshell,
Aspect |
Details |
|
Food Security |
Increase in irrigated area from 113 million ha to 156 million ha by 2050, ensuring sufficient food production for India's projected 1.6 billion population. |
|
Hydropower Development |
Adds 34,000 MW of hydropower, boosting the share of hydro energy to 40%. Only 2% of northeast's potential has been developed; the project taps this resource. |
|
Water Supply |
Provides 90 billion cum for drinking water and 64.8 billion cum for industries by 2050. Reduces hardship for rural women and supports industrial growth. |
|
Navigation |
Guarantees 2m depth in national waterways year-round, easing pressure on roads and railways and facilitating inland navigation. |
|
Flood and Drought Relief |
Diverts water from flood-prone basins like Brahmaputra and Ganga to drought-hit regions in the South and West, reducing flood-drought cycles. |
|
Employment Opportunities |
Creates large-scale jobs in rural areas through agro-industry and canal projects, reducing rural-to-urban migration. |
|
Dry Weather Flow |
Ensures minimum dry season flow, aiding in pollution control, navigation, fisheries, and wildlife conservation. |
|
Economic Benefits |
Potential to double agricultural production, boost farmers' income, and unify the country by involving Panchayats. |
Aspect |
Details |
|
Environmental Problems |
Risks of deforestation, climate change and submergence of land. Example: Ken-Betwa project may submerge 5000 hectares of Penna Tiger Reserve. |
|
Displacement |
Causes loss of livelihood for tribal and rural communities, leading to forced displacement and cultural erosion. |
|
High Costs |
Estimated at ₹5.6 lakh crore (2000 prices), likely to escalate, diverting funds from other critical sectors. |
|
Interstate Disputes |
Water-sharing conflicts between states, e.g., Cauvery dispute between Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. Potential for more disputes with large-scale inter-basin transfers. |
|
International Relations |
Affects neighboring countries like Bangladesh and Nepal. Example: Flash floods in Arunachal Pradesh (2000) due to a dam breach in Tibet. |
|
Social and Political Costs |
Risks of social unrest and psychological impact due to resettlement. Strained ties with neighboring nations over shared river systems. |
This project is a significant step towards addressing water scarcity in the Bundelkhand region which spans across Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh. This project also involves the construction of a dam within the Panna Tiger Reserve. All these spark environmental concerns. Upon completion, the project aims to connect the Ken River that is classified as water-surplus with the Betwa River which is located in drought-prone Bundelkhand.
Linking of Rivers: Connecting the Ken River to the Betwa River to transfer surplus water.
Construction of a Dam: Located within the Panna Tiger Reserve, raising ecological concerns.
Cost Estimates: Approximately ₹45,000 crore, excluding social and environmental costs.
Potential Benefits: Alleviating water stress, improving agriculture, and enhancing regional development.
Submergence of Panna Tiger Reserve
The dam construction threatens to submerge critical areas of the Panna Tiger Reserve, impacting biodiversity and wildlife habitats.
Diverting river water starves deltaic regions, such as the Indus Delta, of essential freshwater, leading to:
Examples such as the Aral Sea’s desiccation and the Kissimmee River disaster highlight the severe ecological consequences of river channelisation and water diversion.
Ken-Betwa River Link Project’s environmental implications contradict Indian culture that venerates rivers as sacred.
India’s rivers are increasingly under threat from pollution, excessive damming and commercial exploitation. This stark contrast raises questions about the commitment to preserve the sanctity and sustainability of the nation’s water bodies.
The Ken-Betwa River Link Project highlights the complexities of balancing developmental aspirations with environmental sustainability. This project aims to address water scarcity in India but its long-term impacts on ecology, biodiversity and climate resilience could be immense.
A holistic, community-driven approach to water management coupled with modern technologies, may provide more sustainable solutions to India’s water crisis.
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