India River Linking Projects

India River Linking Projects

1. The National Water Development Agency (NWDA) has been entrusted with the work of inter-linking of rivers under National Perspective Plan (NPP).
2. NPP has two components, viz., 14 link projects under Himalayan Rivers Development Component and 16 link projects under Peninsular Rivers Development Component.
3. 30 link projects have been identified under NPP.
4. Pre-Feasibility Reports (PFRs) of all the 30 links have been completed.
5. Feasibility Reports (FRs) of 24 links and Detailed Project Reports (DPRs) of 8 links have been completed.
6. Ken-Betwa Link Project (KBLP) is the first link project under NPP, for which implementation has been initiated.

Peninsular Rivers Development Component: The scheme is divided into four major parts:

1. Interlinking of Mahanadi-Godavari-Krishna-Pennar-Cauvery rivers and building storages at potential sites in these basins. This part involves interlinking of the major river systems where surplus from the Mahanadi and the Godavari are intended to be transferred to the needy areas in the south, through Krishna, Pennar and Cauvery rivers.
2. Interlinking of west flowing rivers, north of Bombay and south of Tapi : The scheme provides for taking water supply canal to the metropolitan areas of Mumbai; it also provides irrigation in the coastal areas in Maharashtra.
3. Interlinking of Ken-Chambal: The scheme provides for a water grid for Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh and interlinking canal backed by as many storages as possible.
4. Diversion of other west flowing rivers : The high rainfall on the western side of the "Western Ghats" runs down into numerous streams which discharge into the Arabian Sea. The construction of an interlinking canal system backed up by adequate storages could be planned to meet requirements of new areas on the western side as also for transfer of some waters towards east to meet the needs of drought affected areas.

Himalayan Rivers Development Component: The Himalayan Rivers Development Component envisages construction of storages on the principal tributaries of Ganga and the Brahmaputra in India, Nepal and Bhutan along with interlinking canal systems to transfer surplus flows of the eastern tributaries of the Ganga to the West, apart from linking of the main Brahmaputra and its tributaries with the Ganga and Ganga with Mahanadi and further south.

Sutlej-Yamuna Link (SYL) canal project.

1. Creation of Haryana from the old (undivided) Punjab presented the problem of giving Haryana its share of river waters.

2. For Haryana to get its share of the waters of the Sutlej and its tributary Beas, a canal linking the Sutlej with the Yamuna was planned (SYL Canal).

3. Punjab refused to share waters with Haryana stating it was against the riparian principle which dictates that the water of a river belongs only to the State and country or States and countries through which the river in question flows

4. Both states mutually agreed for the re-allocation of water.

5. 1982: Construction of 214-km SYL was launched in Kapoori village, Punjab.

6. Agitations, protests and assassinations were carried out in protest creating the environment of terrorism in the state and making the issue of national security.