Shelved as a pipedream for decades, the river interlinking project was unearthed and given a new lease of life by the NDA government as a response to the severe drought two years ago. Weary of endless doles, drought relief measures and short-term coping strategies, the government, in its wisdom, decided to take on a more ambitious plan which would, perhaps, put an end to the perennial cycle of drought and floods afflicting one part of the country or another.Put simply, the project envisages the diversion of surplus water from water rich zones to scarce areas through a series of canals or links with reservoirs to store surplus water till needed. This would not only provide water for assured irrigation in drought prone areas, but also reduce the probability of sweeping floods and the resultant heavy loss of human and animal lives, crops and property. Additional benefits would accrue in terms of drinking water supply, hydropower generation and navigable waterways for passenger and commodity movement as well as guaranteed minimum flow in rivers throughout the year.The National Water Development Agency (NWDA) of the water resources ministry has already carried out detailed studies and identified 30 possible links. Feasibility reports for eight such links have been prepared and work is continuing on the remaining ones. A 12-member task force headed by a chairman of cabinet rank has been constituted to prepare an action plan, go into issues of funding and appraisal of individual projects and work towards building a consensus between concerned states and neighbouring countries.A major objection to the project has been the huge funding required. But it needs to be kept in mind that, with due respect to the Supreme Court deadline of 2016, the project is unlikely to be completed in less than 20-25 years, if not longer, with the financial requirement spread out over this period. Moreover, various options for funding — including offers of no interest loans from NRIs, privatisation of select services or stretches of the canals, levying of cess — make the amounts involved more feasible.The question of technical feasibility is no longer an issue. With quantum leaps in technology and easy access to the newest innovations, the construction aspect of the project is the least daunting. One must also keep in mind the fact that the Periyar Project, commissioned as early as 1895, diverted the waters of the west flowing Periyar river through a 1740-m-long tunnel through the Ghats to the Vaigai basin on the east. The prevailing misconception that river linking is new and untried is unwarranted. Existing projects include the Telugu Ganga Project bringing Krishna waters through an open canal to a series of reservoirs and augmenting water supply in Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu; the Sardar Sarovar Project which transfers water from Chhattisgarh to arid Kutch; and the Bhakra and Rajasthan canals which carry snow melt water from the Ravi and Beas to distant Barmer in Rajasthan.Environmental issues, however, merit greater attention. Although no large-scale adverse impacts have been documented in earlier projects of a similar nature in the country, adequate provision must be made for EIA.Why should the new regime back the project? Just a few reasons provide sufficient justification. First, unlike other mega projects, the prime objective of this project is irrigation and flood control and, by extension, the prime beneficiaries would be farmers in drought prone regions eking out a livelihood on single crops and low yields. The other major group of beneficiaries consists of those inhabiting and cultivating the flood plains, who are rendered homeless and asset-less with unrelenting certainty year after year.Second, the pre-poll promise which brought the new coalition to victory was the assurance of large-scale employment. What better opportunity to provide employment in remote backward areas than the labour intensive requirements of the river-linking project? Incorporating food for work into the programme would provide further benefits and help resolve the issue of surplus stocks as well.Third, the government designates its programme as economic reforms with a human face. Harnessing technology and investing huge resources to meet the needs of the vulnerable segment most perfectly expresses this sentiment. Fourth, what better way to national integration than the active involvement of both flood prone and drought prone states in a countrywide endeavour to resolve the water crisis?Last, it must be emphasised that giving the nod to the project does not imply an immediate commitment to the total investment required for completion. Short links, low investment and quick returns would more surely pave the way for further progress. Links like the Ken-Betwa, the Par-Tapi-Narmada, the Pamba-Achankovil-Vaippar and the Damanganga-Pinjal could be taken up at the start. Starting with the shortest links and the lowest expenditure would be the most appropriate way of assessing benefits as well as socio-economic and environmental costs without incurring major losses. The case for forging the links is definitely a strong one.
