River-Linking Project
From WikiAssam
The River-Linking Project is a controversial $15 billion project announced by the Prime Minister of India in December 2002. The plan is to transfer flood waters from the Ganga and Brahmaputra river systems to the south Indian river systems via 300 reservoirs and 1000 kms of canals.
Contents |
Benefits
The River-linking project, which would link 14 Himalayan rivers in the north and 16 peninsular rivers in the south, is projected to add 35-37 million hectares of irrigated land, generate 34,000 million kilowatts of electricity, increase navigational efficiency, control floods and eliminate droughts.
Criticism
A major criticism of the project is based on the time frame -- 40 years of gestation period. In that period the priorities of the country could change, decreasing the impact of the benefits. Since rivers change course every 70 years or so, the outcome itself is always uncertain.
Technological
Environmental
Fisheries
Diverting channels away from the Ganga-Brahmaputra delta will have profound effect on the ecosystem as well as local industries like Fishing. The Hilsa Shad (ilish, Tenualosa ilisha), an anadromous fish, which migrates from the Bay of Bengal up the Brahmaputra and the Ganga for up to 1,200 km for spawning, will be the hardest hit. In addition to the impact on the fishing industry in India, an adverse effect on the fishing industry in Bangladesh could complicate the immigration issue in Assam.
Alternative Aims
Vandana Shiva asserts that the River-Link in the Ken-Betwa sector is not to reduce flood and drought and increase irrigation, the stated official aim, but to feed failed dam projects in the Betwa basin: Barari, Neemkheda, Richwan and Kesuri.
Political Issues
Domestic
International
Since both the Ganga and the Brahmaputra flow into Bangladesh, the issue of diverting water to South India has agitated the country. An organization called Bangladesh Peoples' Initiative Against River Linking Project (BPIRL) has been formed.
Since the Brahmaputra flows into India from China, the River-Linking project will further depend upon Chinese designs on the Brahmaputra. A unilateral decision of India vis-a-vis Bangladesh will weaken India's case against China if it unilaterally decides to harness Brahmaputra water. This would probably make the River-Linking Project infructuous and prove catastrophic for Assam.
References
- Sujalam: Living Waters, The Impact of River Linking Project (PDF) by Vandana Shiva and Kunwar Jalees.
- Consequences on Bangladeshi Fisheries by Mostofa Sarwar
External Links
- Conflict looms over India's colossal river plan Fred Pearce, New Scientist, February 03, 2003.
- A critical look on the Ken-Betwa Link by Vandana Shiva, November 2003
