Interlinking of Rivers- National River Linking Project

An Interlinking of Rivers (ILR) project joins two or more rivers by building reservoirs and canals, helping move river water to areas that might not easily access it. It’s a big program for the Government of India aimed at making water distribution fairer by providing more water in places prone to droughts and areas reliant on rainfall.

This topic of ‘Interlinking of Rivers’ is significant for the UPSC IAS Examination, covered in General Studies Paper 1 (Mains) and General Studies Paper 1 (Preliminary), especially in the Geography section.

In this article, we will study the Interlinking of Rivers in great detail.

Interlinking of Rivers – Background

The concept of connecting rivers was first suggested by Sir Arthur Cotton, the Chief Engineer of the Madras Presidency, in 1919.

• In 1960, KL Rao, the Minister of State for Energy and Irrigation, proposed linking the Ganga and Cauvery rivers, reigniting the idea.
• Former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi established the National Water Development Agency in 1982 to oversee water-related projects.
• In 2002, the Supreme Court instructed the government to finalize a plan for linking rivers by 2003 and complete it by 2016. A task force was set up by the government in 2003 to work on this.
• In 2012, the Supreme Court once again urged the government to begin the project.
• In 2014, the Ken-Betwa River Linking Project received approval from the Cabinet. However, it has not started yet due to opposition from environmentalists and other groups.

Interlinking of Rivers in India

The interlinking of rivers in India refers to a proposed project aimed at connecting rivers across different regions of the country through a network of canals, reservoirs, and diversion channels. The objective is to address issues such as water scarcity, floods, and uneven distribution of water resources by transferring surplus water from water-rich regions to water-deficient areas.

Proponents argue that river interlinking can improve irrigation, enhance water availability for agriculture, provide hydroelectric power generation opportunities, and mitigate the impacts of droughts and floods. However, the project also faces various challenges, including environmental concerns, displacement of communities, interstate water disputes, financial feasibility, and technical complexities.

Despite ongoing debates and discussions, the implementation of river interlinking projects in India remains a subject of contention, with proponents advocating for careful planning, environmental safeguards, and stakeholder consultations to address concerns and ensure sustainable water management practices.

List of Major River Interlinking Projects in India

Sl. No.	Name of the Project	Benefiting Regions
Himalayan Component
1	Manas-Sankosh-Tista-Ganga (M-S-T-G) link	Assam, West Bengal, Bihar, Bhutan
2	Kosi-Ghaghra link	Bihar, Uttar Pradesh
3	Gandak-Ganga link	Bihar, Uttar Pradesh
4	Ghaghra-Yamuna link	Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Rajasthan
Peninsular Component
5	Mahanadi-Godavari-Krishna-Pennar-Cauvery (MGKPC) link	Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka
6	Ken-Betwa link	Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh
7	Par-Tapi-Narmada link	Maharashtra, Gujarat

Interlinking of Rivers Project

The Interlinking of Rivers (ILR) Project in India is an ambitious proposal aimed at connecting rivers across different regions of the country through a network of canals, reservoirs, and diversion channels. The primary objective of the project is to address water scarcity, floods, and uneven distribution of water resources by transferring surplus water from water-rich regions to water-deficient areas. The ILR Project consists of two main components: the Peninsular Rivers Development Component and the Himalayan Rivers Development Component.

Proponents argue that the project could improve irrigation, provide hydroelectric power generation opportunities, and mitigate the impacts of droughts and floods. However, the ILR Project also faces significant challenges, including environmental concerns, displacement of communities, interstate water disputes, financial feasibility, and technical complexities. The implementation of the ILR Project remains a subject of debate and discussion, with proponents advocating for careful planning, environmental safeguards, and stakeholder consultations to ensure sustainable water management practices.

Interlinking of Rivers – Benefits

There are several benefits that the proposed interlinking projects can bring:

1. Managing Water: By transferring excess water from regions with heavy rainfall to drought-prone areas, these projects can help control both floods and droughts.
2. Addressing Water Crisis: The projects can contribute to solving the water scarcity issue in many parts of India.
3. Hydropower Generation: With the construction of dams and reservoirs, the projects have the potential to generate around 34,000 MW of electricity.
4. Dry Weather Flow Augmentation: During dry seasons, releasing stored water from reservoirs ensures a minimum flow in rivers, benefiting pollution control, navigation, forests, fisheries, and wildlife protection.
5. Improving Agriculture: By providing irrigation facilities in water-deficient regions, the projects can reduce dependence on unpredictable monsoons, thus improving agricultural output.
6. Enhancing Commercial Activities: The improvement of inland waterways transportation and opportunities like fish farming can boost rural economies.
7. Strengthening Defense and Security: Additional waterlines created by these projects can enhance the country’s defense and security measures.

Interlinking of Rivers – Challenges

Despite the potential benefits, the river interlinking project faces numerous challenges:

1. Feasibility: The project’s estimated cost of Rs. 5.6 lakh crores and the need for large-scale infrastructure pose significant engineering and financial challenges.
2. Environmental Impact: Altering ecosystems and displacing wildlife, flora, and fauna could have severe environmental consequences. It may also reduce freshwater flow into the sea, impacting marine life.
3. Societal Impact: Building dams and reservoirs will displace many people, necessitating their rehabilitation and fair compensation, causing social upheaval.
4. Flood Control Doubts: While theoretically capable of flood control, past experiences with large dams like Hirakud Dam and Damodar Dam have led to flooding in states like Odisha and West Bengal.
5. Inter-state Disputes: Several states, including Kerala, Sikkim, and Andhra Pradesh, oppose the project, leading to inter-state conflicts.
6. International Disputes: Building dams and interlinking rivers in the Himalayan region could affect neighboring countries, such as Bangladesh opposing the transfer of water from the Brahmaputra to the Ganga.

National River Linking Project (NRLP)

This project plans to move water from areas with too much water to those with too little by connecting 37 rivers in India through nearly 3000 storage dams. This will create a huge water network across South Asia.

There are two main parts to this project:

1. Himalayan Component: This involves connecting rivers that flow from the Himalayas to other parts of India.
2. Peninsular Component: This focuses on linking rivers in the southern part of India.

The Himalayan Component

This component of the NRLP involves 14 projects:

1. Building storage dams on rivers like the Ganga and Brahmaputra, as well as their smaller rivers.
2. Proposing to link the Ganga with the Yamuna.
3. Besides preventing floods in the Ganga-Brahmaputra system, it will also benefit dry areas like Rajasthan, Haryana, and Gujarat.

This component has two parts:

1. Connecting the Ganga and Brahmaputra rivers to the Mahanadi river basin.
2. Linking the eastern rivers of the Ganga with the Sabarmati and Chambal river systems.

The Peninsular Component

This component of the NRLP aims to link 16 rivers in southern India:

1. It involves transferring extra water from rivers like the Mahanadi and Godavari to rivers like the Krishna, Cauvery, Pennar, and Vaigai.
2. There are four sub-components:
   a. Connecting the Mahanadi and Godavari river basins to the Cauvery, Krishna, and Vaigai rivers.
   b. Linking the Ken and Betwa rivers, and the Parbati and Kalisindh rivers to the Chambal river.
   c. Joining west-flowing rivers below the Tapi river to those above Bombay.
   d. Connecting some west-flowing rivers to east-flowing rivers.

Interlinking of Rivers (ILR) – Key Facts for UPSC 

Interlinking of Rivers – Key Facts
Who first proposed the interlinking of rivers?	Sir Arthur Cotton, Chief Engineer of the Madras Presidency, proposed the idea of linking rivers in 1919.
What is India’s first river interlinking project?	The Ken-Betwa Link Project (KBLP) is the first of 16 river interlinking projects planned under the NPP’s Peninsular Rivers Development.
How many rivers are proposed to be linked in India?	The National Water Development Agency (NWDA) has identified 30 links under the NPP, Including: 16 under Peninsular Component and 14 under the Himalayan Component.
Who implemented the river-linking project in India?	India’s National Water Development Agency (NWDA) Ministry of Jal Shakti is implementing the Interlinking of Rivers (ILR).
When was the National Water Development Agency established?	The National Water Development Agency is an autonomous organisation founded in 1972 under the Societies Registration Act (Act XXI of 1860).

UPSC Previous Year Questions

Q1. The interlinking of rivers can provide viable solutions to the multi-dimensional inter-related problems of droughts, floods and interrupted navigation. Critically examine. (UPSC Mains 2020, GS Paper 1).

Q2. What is water stress? How and why does it differ regionally in India? (UPSC Mains 2019, GS Paper 1).

Q3. In what way can floods be converted into a sustainable source of irrigation and all-weather inland navigation in India? (UPSC Mains 2017, GS Paper 1).

Conclusion

India is a large country with diverse geography. States like Rajasthan and Maharashtra often face water shortages due to deficient rainfall, while northern India deals with frequent floods. To address these issues, the National Water Development Agency launched the river linking project. The goal of this project is to connect rivers across India, forming a network to alleviate water scarcity and drought in various states. The project comprises three main components: the Himalayan component, the Peninsular component, and the Intrastate linking. These components consist of 14, 37, and 16 projects respectively.

FAQs on Interlinking of Rivers

What is the Socio-Economic impact of ILR?

The socioeconomic consequences of river interlinking include large-scale displacement of locals, particularly tribal people, loss of livelihood, disease spread, and food crises.

How many rivers are interlinked in India?

The NWDA has identified 30 river interlinking projects under the National Perspective Plan (NPP), 16 of which are in the Peninsular component and 14 in the Himalayan component.

What is the full form of NIRA in Interlinking of Rivers?

The full form of NIRA is National Interlinking of Rivers Authority (NIRA) and it is a proposed body to monitor and control river-linking projects in India.

Is the interlinking of rivers necessary?

There are benefits and concerns associated with the project.

How does the river link project help generate electricity?

To create a network of rivers over a large area, many canals, dams, and reservoirs will need to be constructed to connect the rivers. In dams, energy is generated due to the force of water flow from higher elevations to the ground. This is how the river interlinking project helps in the generation of electricity.