Interlinking of Indian Rivers: Floated Myths, Flouted Realities

Ghosh, Nilanjan; Modak, Sayanangshu

doi:10.1007/978-3-030-87067-6_15

Interlinking of Indian Rivers: Floated Myths, Flouted Realities

Nilanjan Ghosh² &
Sayanangshu Modak²

Chapter
First Online: 08 February 2022

108 Accesses
17 Altmetric

Abstract

The gravity of concern about interlinking rivers (ILR) in India is huge and quite evidently has been associated with acrimonious debates. While various dispensations in the new millennium have generally been in favour of this mega-scale infrastructure project, no other infrastructure development project has perhaps received so much flak from the scientific community and the NGOs than the ILR project. Opposing discourses started flowing in ever since Suresh Prabhu took up the chairmanship of the task force of ILR in 2002—a position which he relinquished in 2006. The idea of interlinking is old enough to have invited the debate even in the last century. However, neither adequate scientific knowledge, nor appropriate technological know-how existed during that time to really take the debate to the public forum. The idea of linking rivers of India has its roots in the thoughts of Visveswarya, the stalwart engineer of yore. The idea was further extended by K.L. Rao, the legendary irrigation minister of India, and Captain Dastur, a pilot. Both Rao and Dastur envisaged the Ganga-Cauvery Link Canal and the Garland canals, respectively (Fig. 1). Rao felt that the solution to India’s water problems lie in transferring water from “water surplus” to “water deficit” basins. Even today, many believe that “robbing Peter to pay Paul” (RPBP) is a great idea to resolve the water problems.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution.

Chapter: USD 29.95; Price excludes VAT (USA)

eBook: USD 119.00; Price excludes VAT (USA)

Hardcover Book: USD 159.99; Price excludes VAT (USA)

Learn about institutional subscriptions

Notes

1.
The sub-basins comprising left-bank of the Ganga (bulk of which will be linked) like the Ghaghara, Gandak and Kosi with the sub-basins of the right bank tributaries and distributaries like the Yamuna, Son and Bhagirathi/Hooghli, have a much higher PUWC per capita than the average for the entire Ganga Basin and also much higher average annual volume of discharge than their right bank counterparts.

References

Ahlers, R.J. Budds, D. Joshi, V. Merme and M. Zwarteveen (2015). “Framing Hydropower as Green Energy: Assessing Drivers, Risks and Tensions in the Eastern Himalayas.” Earth Syst. Dynam. 6 (1): 195–204. https://doi.org/10.5194/esd-6-195-2015.
CrossRef Google Scholar
Amarasinghe, U., B.R. Sharma, N. Aloysius, C. Scott, V. Smakhtin, C. de Fraiture, A.K. Sinha and A.K. Shukla (2004). Spatial Variation in Water Supply and Demand across River Basins of India. IWMI Research Report 83. International Water Management Institute. Colombo.
Google Scholar
Amarasinghe, Upali (2012). The National River Linking Project of India: Some Contentious Issues. IWMI-TATA Water Policy Research Highlight. Vol. 16. https://hdl.handle.net/10568/34700.
Bandyopadhyay, Jayanta (2012). Water Science in India: Hydrological Obscurantism. Economic and Political Weekly 47 (16): 45–47. http://www.jstor.org/stable/23214595.
Google Scholar
Bandyopadhyay, Jayanta (2019). Towards a Synergy-Based Approach to River Basin Governance | ORF. Observer Research Foundation. August 2019. https://www.orfonline.org/research/towards-a-synergy-based-approach-to-river-basin-governance-54786/.
Bandyopadhyay, Jayanta and Shama Perveen (2008). The Interlinking of Indian Rivers: Questions on the Scientific, Economic and Environmental Dimensions of the Proposal. In Interlinking of Rivers in India: Issues and Concerns, edited by M. Monirul Qader Mirza, Ahsan Uddin Ahmed, and Q.K. Ahmad, 53. London: CRC Press. https://doi.org/10.1201/9780203894576.
Biswas, Asit K. and Cecilia Tortajada (2001). Development and Large Dams: A Global Perspective. International Journal of Water Resources Development 17 (1): 9-21. https://doi.org/10.1080/07900620120025024.
CrossRef Google Scholar
Cotton, Arthur (1858). Report on the Mahanuddy River. Calcutta, May. Calcutta.
Google Scholar
CSO (2018). EnviStats-India 2018: Supplement on Environmental Accounts, Central Statistics Office, Ministry of Statistics & Programme Implementation, Government of India, New Delhi. http://mospi.nic.in/sites/default/files/reports_and_publication/statistical_publication/EnviStats/EnviStats_India_27sep18.pdf
Davis, Kyle Frankel, Davide Danilo Chiarelli, Maria Cristina Rulli, Ashwini Chhatre, Brian Richter, Deepti Singh and Ruth DeFries (2018). Alternative Cereals Can Improve Water Use and Nutrient Supply in India. Science Advances 4(7): eaao1108. https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.aao1108.
CrossRef Google Scholar
D’Souza, Rohan (2003). Canal Irrigation and the Conundrum of Flood Protection: The Failure of the Orissa Scheme of 1863 in Eastern India. Studies in History 19 (1): 41-68. https://doi.org/10.1177/025764300301900103.
CrossRef Google Scholar
D’Souza, Rohan (2008). River-Linking and Its Discontents: The Final Plunge for Supply-Side Hydrology in India. In: Water First: Issues and Challenges for Nations and Communities in South Asia, edited by Kuntala Lahiri-Dutt and Robert J. Wasson, 99-121. SAGE Publications India Pvt Ltd., New Delhi.
Google Scholar
Falkenmark, Malin and Johan Rockström (2004). Balancing water for humans and nature: The new approach in ecohydrology. Earthscan.
Google Scholar
Flessa, K.W. (2004). Ecosystem services and the value of water in the Colorado River delta and Estuary, USA and Mexico: Guidelines for mitigation and restoration. International Seminar on Restoration of Damaged Lagoon Environments, 79-86. Matsue, Japan.
Google Scholar
Ghosh, Nilanjan (2018a). From Reductionist to Holistic Paradigm: Combining Ecology, Economics, Engineering, and Social Sciences in a Transdisciplinary Framework for Water Governance, Ecology, Economy and Society—the INSEE Journal; 1(2): 69-72.
CrossRef Google Scholar
Ghosh, Nilanjan (2018b). Water, Ecosystem Services, and Food Security: Avoiding the costs of ignoring the Linkage, in Kathuria, R., S. Ray and K. Bandyopadhyay (Eds.) Low Carbon Pathways for Growth in India, 161-176 (New Delhi: Springer).
CrossRef Google Scholar
Gopal, Brij and Dinesh K. Marothia (2016). Seeking Viable Solutions to Water Security in Bundelkhand. Economic and Political Weekly. https://www.epw.in/journal/2016/44-45/commentary/seeking-viable-solutions-water-security-bundelkhand.html.
IEA (2020). India 2020 Energy Policy Review. https://niti.gov.in/sites/default/files/2020-01/IEA-India 2020-In-depth-EnergyPolicy.pdf.
Iyer, Ramaswamy R. (2002). Linking of Rivers: Judicial Activism or Error? Economic and Political Weekly 37(46): 4595–96. http://www.jstor.org/stable/4412834.
Google Scholar
Iyer, Ramaswamy R. (2012). River Linking Project: A Disquieting Judgment. Economic and Political Weekly 47(14): 33–40. http://www.jstor.org/stable/23214676.
Google Scholar
Kale, V.S. and A. Gupta (2001). Introduction to Geomorphology. Kolkata: Orient Longman.
Google Scholar
Kale, Vishwas S. (1998). Monsoon Floods in India: A Hydro-Geomorphic Perspective. Memoirs-Geological Society of India, 229–259.
Google Scholar
Lal, Murari (2008). Implications of Climate Change in South Asia on the Interlinking Project of Indian Rivers. In Interlinking of Rivers in India: Issues and Concerns, edited by M Monirul Qader Mirza, Ahsan Uddin Ahmed, and Qazi Kholiquzzaman Ahmad, 1st ed. London: CRC Press. https://doi.org/10.1201/9780203894576.
Ministry of Irrigation (1980). National Perspective for Water Resources Development. Accessed October 19, 2020. http://nwda.gov.in/upload/uploadfiles/files/NATIONAL%20PERSPECTIVE(1).pdf.
Misra, Anil Kumar, Anju Saxena, Manish Yaduvanshi, Ajai Mishra, Yogendra Bhadauriya and Alok Thakur (2007). Proposed River-Linking Project of India: A Boon or Bane to Nature. Environmental Geology, 51(8): 1361–1376. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00254-006-0434-7.
CrossRef Google Scholar
Mohile, A.D. (1998). India’s Water and its Plausible Balance in Distant Future. Unpublished paper as cited in NCIWRDP (1999a:29).
Google Scholar
MOWR (2002). National Water Policy. New Delhi. http://jalshakti-dowr.gov.in/sites/default/files/nwp20025617515534_1.pdf.
Nandargi, S., O. Dhar, M.M. Sheikh, Brenna Enright and Monirul Mirza (2010). Hydrometeorology of Floods and Droughts in South Asia – A Brief Appraisal. In: Global Environmental Changes in South Asia., edited by A.P. Mitra and C. Sharma, 244–257. Dordrecht: Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4020-9913-7_8.
Nehru, Jawaharlal (1988). Jawaharlal Nehru on Science and Society: A Collection of His Writings and Speeches. Edited by Singh Bandev. New Delhi: Nehru Memorial Museum and Library. https://www.indianculture.gov.in/ebooks/jawaharlal-nehru-science-and-society-collection-his-writings-and-speeches.
Google Scholar
NWDA (2020a). Feasibility Report of Godavari Inchampalli Krishna Pulichintala Link Project. http://www.nwda.gov.in/content/innerpage/FRofG-Pulichintala.php.
NWDA (2020b). National Perspectives for Water Resources Development : National Water Development Agency. 2020. http://www.nwda.gov.in/content/innerpage/click-more.php.
Platt, Kobi, Sharon Gourdji, Carrie Knowlton and Michael, J. Wiley. (2008). India’s Energy Future and Interlinking of Rivers. In Interlinking of Rivers in India: Issues and Concerns, edited by M Monirul Qader Mirza, Ahsan Uddin Ahmed, and Qazi Kholiquzzaman Ahmad, 1st ed., 129-139. London: CRC Press. https://doi.org/10.1201/9780203894576.
Google Scholar
Radhakrishna, B.P. (2003). Linking of Major Rivers of India—Bane or Boon? Current Science 84 (11): 1390–94. http://www.jstor.org/stable/24108378.
Google Scholar
Rahman, Munsur, Maruf Dustegir, Rezaul Karim, Anisul Haque, Robert, J. Nicholls, Stephen E. Darby, Hajime Nakagawa, Motahar Hossain, Frances E. Dunn and Marin Akter (2018). Recent Sediment Flux to the Ganges-Brahmaputra-Meghna Delta System. Science of The Total Environment 643: 1054–64. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.06.147.
CrossRef Google Scholar
SANDRP (2003). The Mindlessness Called River Linking Proposals. New Delhi. http://wrmin.nic.in/interbasin/default8.htm.
Shah, Tushaar (2010). Taming the Anarchy: Groundwater Governance in South Asia. Routledge.
CrossRef Google Scholar
Singh, Dharamveer and Pankaj Singh (2004). Interlinking of Rivers. Practical Lawyer, Eastern Book Company. 2004. https://www.ebc-india.com/lawyer/articles/836.htm.
Singh, Rajendra (2008). The Indigenous Knowledge Systems of Water Management in India. In Interlinking of Rivers in India: Issues and Concerns, edited by M. Monirul Qader Mirza, Ahsan Uddin Ahmed, and Q.K. Ahmad, 1st ed., 235. London: CRC Press. https://doi.org/10.1201/9780203894576.
Vombatkere, S.G. (2016). Interlinking Rivers: Cupidity Or Stupidity. The Citizen. 2016. https://www.thecitizen.in/index.php/en/newsdetail/index/4/9255/interlinking-rivers-cupidity-or-stupidity.
Wohl, Ellen (2017). Connectivity in Rivers. Progress in Physical Geography: Earth and Environment, 41 (3): 345-362. https://doi.org/10.1177/0309133317714972.
CrossRef Google Scholar
Yadav, Krishna Nand (2007). Interlinking of Rivers in India: Costs and Benefits. In Interlinking of Rivers in India: Costs and Benefits, edited by Anil Kumar Thakur and Kumari Pushpa. Deep and Deep Publications.
Google Scholar

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Observer Research Foundation Kolkata, Kolkata, India
Nilanjan Ghosh & Sayanangshu Modak

Authors

Nilanjan Ghosh
View author publications
You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar
Sayanangshu Modak
View author publications
You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Nilanjan Ghosh .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur, Kharagpur, West Bengal, India
Dr. Abhijit Mukherjee

ANNEXURE

Peninsular Component
Sl. No.	Name	States concerned	States benefited	Annual irrigation (Lakh ha)	Domestic and industrial supply (MCM)	Hydro-power (MW)	Status
1	Mahanadi (Manibhadra)- Godavari (Dowlaiswaram) link	Orissa, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, & Chattisgarh,	Andhra Pradesh & Orissa	0.91+3.52 =4.43	802	445	Feasibility report completed
2	Godavari (Inchampalli)- Krishna (Pulichintala) link	Orissa, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka &Chattisgarh,	Telangana & Andhra Pradesh	1.09+5.04 =6.13	413	--	Feasibility report completed
3	Godavari (Inchampalli)- Krishna (Nagarjunasagar) link	-do-	Telangana	2.87	237	975	Feasibility report completed
4	Godavari (Polavaram)- Krishna (Vijayawada) link	Orissa, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, & Chattisgarh	Andhra Pradesh	5.82	162	--	Feasibility report completed
5	Krishna (Almatti)- Pennar link	-do-	Andhra Pradesh & Karnataka	1.90+0.68 =2.58	56	--	Feasibility report completed
6	Krishna (Srisailam)- Pennar link	Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka & Telangana	--	--	--	17	Feasibility report completed
7	Krishna (Nagarjunasagar)- Pennar (Somasila) link	Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh & Karnataka,	-do-	5.81	124	90	Feasibility report completed
8	Pennar (Somasila)- Cauvery (Grand Anicut) link	Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala & Puducherry	Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu & Puducherry	0.49+4.36 +0.06 =4.91	1105	--	Feasibility report completed
9	Cauvery (Kattalai)- Vaigai - Gundar link	Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala & Puducherry	Tamil Nadu	3.38	185	--	Feasibility report completed
10	Ken-Betwa link a) Ken-Betwa Link Phase-I b) Ken-Betwa link Phase-II	Uttar Pradesh & Madhya Pradesh - do-	Uttar Pradesh & Madhya Pradesh Madhya Pradesh	2.66 + 3.69 =6.35 0.99	496	78	DPR Phase-I completed in April 2010 & DPR Phase-II completed in January 2014.
11	Parbati-Kalisindh- Chambal link	Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan & Uttar Pradesh (UP requested to be consulted during consensus building )	Madhya Pradesh & Rajasthan	*Alt.I: 2.05+0.25 =2.30 (Alt.II : 1.77+0.43 =2.20)	13.2	--	Feasibility report completed
12	Par-Tapi-Narmada link	Maharashtra & Gujarat	Gujarat	2.32	76	22	DPR completed in August, 2015
13	Damanganga- Pinjal link (As per DPR )	Maharashtra & Gujarat	Maharashtra (only water supply to Mumbai)	--	895	--	DPR completed in March 2014
14	Bedti-Varda link	Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh & Karnataka	Karnataka	0.60	--	4	Pre-feasibility report completed
15	Netravati- Hemavati link	Karnataka, Tamil Nadu & Kerala	Karnataka	0.34	--	--	Pre-feasibility report completed
16	Pamba- Achankovil-Vaippar link	Kerala & Tamil Nadu,	Tamil Nadu	0.91	--	508	Feasibility report completed

Himalayan Component
Sl. No.	Name of the Link	States/Country concerned	States benefited	Annual irrigation (Lakh ha)	Domestic and industrial supply (MCM)	Hydro- power (MW)	Status
1.	Manas-Sankosh-Tista-Ganga (M-S-T-G) link	Assam, West Bengal, Bihar & Bhutan	Assam, West Bengal & Bihar	2.08 + 1.82 + 2.64 = 6.54	--	5287	FR in progress
2.	Kosi-Ghaghra link	Bihar, Uttar Pradesh & Nepal	Bihar & Uttar Pradesh	8.17+ 0.67 + 1.74 (Nepal) = 10.58	48	--	FR in Indian portion in progress
3.	Gandak-Ganga link	-do-	Uttar Pradesh	37.99+2.41(Nepal) = 40.40	700	--	Draft FR completed (for Indian portion)
4.	Ghaghra-Yamuna link	-do-	Uttar Pradesh	25.30 + 1.35 (Nepal) =26.65	1391	10884	FR completed (for Indian portion)
5.	Sarda-Yamuna link	Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand & Nepal	Uttar Pradesh & Uttarakhand	3.45 + 0.30 = 3.75	6250	3600	FR completed (for Indian portion)
6.	Yamuna-Rajasthan link	Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Haryana & Rajasthan	Haryana & Rajasthan	0.435 + 2.442 = 2.877	57	--	Draft FR completed
7.	Rajasthan-Sabarmati link	-do-	Rajasthan & Gujarat	5.35 + 2.04 = 7.39	282	--	Draft FR completed
8.	Chunar-Sone Barrage link	Bihar & Uttar Pradesh	Bihar & Uttar Pradesh	0.30 + 0.37 = 0.67	--	--	Draft FR completed
9.	Sone Dam-Southern Tributaries of Ganga link	Bihar & Jharkhand	Bihar & Jharkhand	2.99 + 0.08 = 3.07	360	95	FR in progress
10.	Ganga(Farakka)-Damodar- Subernarekha link	West Bengal, Orissa & Jharkhand	West Bengal, Orissa & Jharkhand	7.63 + 0.30 + 0.55 = 8.47	484	-	Draft FR completed
11.	Subernarekha-Mahanadi link	West Bengal & Orissa	West Bengal & Orissa	0.18 + 0.365 = 0.545	--	9	Draft FR completed
12.	Kosi-Mechi link	Bihar, West Bengal & Nepal	Bihar	2.99 + 1.75 (Nepal) = 4.74	24	3180	PFR completed. FR to be taken up Entirely lies in Nepal
13.	Farakka-Sunderbans link	West Bengal	West Bengal	1.50	184	--	Draft FR completed
14.	Jogighopa-Tista-Farakka link (Alternative to M-S-T-G)	-do-	Assam, West Bengal & Bihar	----	216	1115	Alternative to M-S-T-G Link. Not to be taken up.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and Permissions

Copyright information

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Ghosh, N., Modak, S. (2022). Interlinking of Indian Rivers: Floated Myths, Flouted Realities. In: Mukherjee, A. (eds) Riverine Systems. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-87067-6_15

Download citation

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-87067-6_15
Published: 08 February 2022
Publisher Name: Springer, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-030-87066-9
Online ISBN: 978-3-030-87067-6
eBook Packages: Earth and Environmental ScienceEarth and Environmental Science (R0)

Abstract

Buying options

Notes

References

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Corresponding author

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

ANNEXURE

ANNEXURE

Rights and permissions

Copyright information

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Download citation

Share this chapter