Critics of National Critics of National River Linking River Linking

ProjectProject

Shweta GaurShweta Gaur 22ndnd sem (USEM) sem (USEM) 0031360470900313604709

National River Linking ProjectNational River Linking Project

• The aim of the river project is to link the major Indian river systems across the country in order to ensure that the continuous floods and droughts frequenting India are brought under control.

What reports say…..What reports say…..

• THE MUCH touted national river linking project, which had caused a huge controversy a few years ago, has failed to break much ground as the fate of the ambitious project now hangs in balance.

With the aim of linking the Indian rivers by 2016, the rupees five lakh crore project conceived by the previous National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government has failed to take off. The detailed report of this major project has been lying in the cold storage and the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government has not shown any interest in reviving this project.

• The entire project is in such an inertia that the Supreme Court had to intervene on November 25, 2008. The court asked the Centre to indicate the status report on the implementation of the project.

• However, even after two months of the intervention, the UPA government has not filed a response in the court.

What environmentalists say….What environmentalists say….

• The river-linking project may be an engineer's dream but it is an environmentalist's nightmare, rooted as it is in an engineering mindset which believes that the only way to tackle the problem is to find and transport water -- wherever it might be.

• According to the Union Minister of State for Environment and Forest, Jairam Ramesh- The project would be “human, ecological and economic disaster for the country”.

• Environmentalists say- River-linking will be an ecological disaster. "We require practical solutions and not spectacular ones"

• Environmentalists say that one of the major concerns of NRLP is that all rivers change their course every 70 to 100 years. " Changing of river path is a natural phenomenon that can't be altered.

You may link rivers today but once the rivers start changing their course after a few decades then the entire project would be in vain."

The Panna Tiger National Park in Madhya Pradesh that falls in the vicinity of the linking of the Ken and Betwa rivers is going to suffer major damages. Over 50 square kilometers of land, which is a habitat to many endangered species that fall under the wild life protection act 1972, will get submerged.

Uttar Pradesh the famed Jim Corbett National Park that falls under Shadra-Sahayak Canal Link will bear irreparable losses with the submergence of the  elephant reserve area.  

International concernsInternational concerns

• Bangladesh has urged the World Bank not to extend support to India for implementation of its proposed Inter-river link project as it might create enormous loss to its economy and environment.

• Diversion of waters from the Brahmaputra would have a catastrophic impact on Bangladesh. It will turn major parts of the country into deserts, destroying its agriculture.

NRLP – Concerns

Contentious issue among the civil society, media, and academics

Project concept itself was dubious

Needs assessment was not adequate

Alternative water management/development options

were not fully explored

Social displacement cost was enormous

Total cost of the project is very huge etc.

Unseen problems that would arise Unseen problems that would arise due to NRLP-due to NRLP-

• Loss of biodiversity

• Reduction in downstream flows

• Damage to fisheries and wild life

• Displacement of people

• Conflicts over water sharing

• Pressure created on land by cubic tonnes of water that might cause seismic tremors which may finally lead to earthquakes.

Contd………………..Contd………………..• The interlinking of rivers will disrupt the

entire hydrological cycle by stopping the rivers from performing their ecological functions before reaching the ocean.

• Some 4.5 lakh people may be displaced and 79,292 hectares of forests may be submerged.

Contd………………..Contd………………..

• Far from increasing productivity through irrigation along its course, the large network of dams and canals may alter the natural drainage, causing flooding and water logging in agricultural land.

• The equitable distribution of water across the country will inadvertently distribute pollutant loads across rivers as well.

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