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March, 2003 The idea of interlinking of rivers in India has repeatedly been occurring to the Indian scientists and engineers in the past but has always met with rejection on account of technical unfeasibility or socio-economic issues. Four decades back, it was Mr K.L.Rao, the then Union Minister for Irrigation and Power, who suggested a 2640-km long Ganga-Cauvery link by carrying waters partly by gravity and partly by lift but the costs were found highly prohibitive and the idea was rejected. Then came forward the Captain Dastur Plan, popularly known as Garland Scheme. Under this scheme, a 4200-km long Himalayan canal and a 9300-km long Garland canal were suggested, both to be linked by pipelines near Patna and Delhi. Again the plan was found technically unfeasible and laid to rest. Now the Ministry of Water Resources, Government of India, has come up with an elaborate plan to link various rivers to get the country rid of droughts and floods and to utilise waters going waste into the sea. Some orders by the apex court have encouraged the study of feasibility of the scheme and there is excitement as well as resentment in many parts of the country. Under the newly proposed scheme, two components named Himalayan component and Peninsular component have been outlined. The Himalayan component proposes to have 14 canal links ( see Table 1 ) while the Peninsular component has 16 links (see Table 2 ). Under the Himalayan component, many dams are planned to be constructed on the tributaries of Ganga and Brahmaputra in India, Nepal and Bhutan. This component envisages linking of Brahmaputra and its tributaries with Ganga and Ganga with Mahanadi to transfer surplus flows of East to the West thus benefiting many states. The proposed links may help in controlling floods in Ganga and Brahmaputra basins. Under the Peninsular component, surplus waters of Mahanadi and Godavari rivers are proposed to be transferred to the deficit basins of Krishna, Pennar, Cauvery and Vaigai. In the transfer of waters from Godavari to Krishna, a lift of 1200 cusecs of water over about 116m is essential. In addition, water is proposed to be transferred from Ken River to Betwa river to benefit MP and AP and interlinking of Parbati, Kalisindh and Chambal rivers to benefit MP and Rajasthan. Peninsular component aims at benefiting Orissa, Karnataka, Tamilnadu, Pondicherry, Maharashtra and Gujarat. Estimated cost of the whole scheme at 2002 price level has been worked out to be Rs 5,60,000 crore putting a big question mark over the successful implementation of the scheme. The proposed time period for the completion of the scheme is also very long i.e. 35 years. These two figures may further undergo changes in future. Even the present cost and time frame demand an annual outlay of Rs 16,000 crore. Such a huge and recurring outlay may leave the government groping in the dark. The present status of implementation of the scheme is that the feasibility report of six links has been completed while that of 18 links is under progress. It is estimated that feasibility reports for peninsular component will be completed by 2004 while that of Himalayan component will be over by 2008. Many committees have been constituted to ensure participation of all states as the surplus states may strongly object to the transfer of waters to the deficit basins. Though policies may be framed to compensate the surplus states but the general feeling is that the political scenario greatly affects the implementation of laid policies which may undergo changes with the change in governments. This is a crucial issue to be tackled parallel to the studies for technical viability. The proposal may get stuck if the states in surplus are not duly compensated and if they do not agree even if the scheme is found as technically sound. In addition to arrival of consensus among the co-basin states, negotiations need to be held with the neighbouring countries, Bhutan and Nepal as the scheme demands construction of storage dams in these two countries. Sizeable land shall have to be acquired for the construction of storage dams, canals and reservoirs. Land acquisition is a big process in itself. It has also to be seen that in an effort to provide respite to millions from floods and droughts, we don’t displace an equal millions. The rehabilitation plans need to be fast and adequate for successful implementation. Keeping in view the past track record, this area needs special vigil. The Ministry of Environment and Forests is always quite particular about this and will not accord clearance unless it is satisfied about the workability of rehabilitation plans.
Though the interlinking plan promises relief from floods and droughts to many areas, 30000 MW of additional power and 22 million hectares of additional irrigation, it is bound to face many bottlenecks as the interests of states and countries may clash, past records of promises kept or broken may come to surface and arrangement of funds may look impossible. Yet the scheme needs very careful and selfless examination for its technical viability. Of the 30 links identified, 21 are interdependent and nine are independent. Work may of course start on the nine independent links without a hurdle but it must be examined if these links will be of any use in case the whole scheme does not go through. If found fully viable, states and countries may join hands for mutual benefits and for the sake of mankind.
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