Q.The interlinking of rivers can provide viable solutions to the multi-dimensional inter-related problems of droughts, floods and interrupted navigation. Critically examine. (250 words, 15 marks)

Body Analysis

Proposed Benefits

• Hydropower Generation: The project is projected to generate approximately 34 GW of clean energy, assisting India in meeting its growing power demands and fulfilling its commitments under the Paris Climate Agreement.
• Flood Control: By storing and redirecting seasonal high flows, the project can mitigate flooding. For example, transferring excess water from the Kosi, Gandak, and Ghagra rivers westward can reduce flood damage in eastern plains.
• Drought Mitigation: Water can be channeled to chronically dry regions. Connecting the Ganga and Yamuna rivers can help supply surplus water to arid zones in Haryana, Rajasthan, and Gujarat.
• Year-Round Navigation: Interlinking would maintain water levels in southern Indian rivers, creating a 10,000 km inland waterway network that lowers overall logistics and transportation costs.
• Irrigation Expansion: The initiative is expected to bring an additional 35 million hectares under irrigation, significantly boosting agricultural productivity in water-scarce areas.

Concerns and Challenges

• Variability of Perennial Rivers: Recent meteorological data indicates that monsoon deficits are increasingly affecting even historically "surplus" river basins, questioning the reliability of water transfers.
• Inter-State Disputes: Water sharing is a highly sensitive federal issue in India, as seen in long-standing disputes like the Cauvery and Mahadayi river conflicts.
• Transboundary Relations: Convincing neighboring lower-riparian nations like Bangladesh to agree to upstream river diversions poses a major diplomatic challenge.
• Ecological Impacts: Rivers naturally alter their courses over 70 to 100 years. Artificially linking them could lead to severe systemic disruptions if natural courses shift.
• Threat to Aquatic Life: Environmentalists warn of ecological degradation. Reduced freshwater discharge into estuaries and seas can severely harm marine and riverine ecosystems.
• Deforestation: Constructing extensive canal networks requires massive land acquisition, leading to widespread forest clearance.