Srabani Das,

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Dialogue on the proposed Interlinking of Rivers
in India

• Srabani Das,
• Project Coordinator,
• Freshwater and Wetlands Programme
• WWF India, New Delhi
• sbdas_at_wwfindia.net

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Indias Water future

• Water Stress
• 4 freshwater and 16population
• Population
• 2005 1.09 billion
• 2050 1.65 billion
• Gross per capita water availability
• 2001 1900m3/yr
• 2050 1100 m3/yr
• Water requirements

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Why it is needed?

• Spatial and Temporal rainfall variation
• seasonal pattern of rainfall, 85 of annual rain
  in 4 months.
• In 15 days , 50 rainfall
• 90 of river flows in just four months, jun to se
• Water requirement for foodgrain production food
  security
• Flood amelioration
• Drought proofing
• Hydropower production
• Navigation

4
Water Storage per capita

• Arid rich countries eg. USA 5000 m3
• middle-income countries like South Africa,
  Mexico, China 1000 m3
• Indias dams can store only 200 m3
• India can store only about 30 days of rainfall,
  compared to 900 days in major river basins in
  arid areas of developed countries.

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Hydropower production

• Industrialized countries harness over 80 of
  their economically-viable hydropower potential,
• In India it is only 20,
• Indian electricity system is in need of peaking
  power and
• The government has set the target for Indias
  optimum power system mix at 40 percent from
  hydropower and 60 percent from thermal/nuclear
  power.   The present ratio at 2575 falls far
  short of this optimum,

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Historical Background

• Historical background
• Sir Arthur Cotton proposed links for inland
  navigation for better early last century.
• 1972 by Dr. K. L. Rao proposed Ganga Cauvery
  Link Canal' as purposed by Rao was aimed at both
  irrigation and power generation
• In 1977 Captain Dastur, proposed as 'Garland
  Canal' planning to connect Himalaya and Southern
  rivers connection between the two systems through
  pipelines
• National Perspective for Water Development as
  framed by the Ministry of Water Resources in
  August 1980
• The National Water Development Agency (NWDA) set
  up in 1982 to carry out detailed studies in the
  context of the National Perspective

• Renewed Current interest
• August 2002 Supreme Court order to Government
  to complete should complete the construction of
  the ILR project in the next 12 years
• A government Task Force on the Interlinking of
  rivers (TFILR) set up for purpose.

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Salient features of the Interbasin transfer

• 37 links across 30 rivers
• 14 Himalayan and 16 peninsular links
• 14, 160 km of canal length
• Reservoirs
• 173 billion cubic metre water transfer

• Across basin drainage
• Dams, barrages, weirs
• Reservoirs
• Canals for diversion
• Cross drainage structures
• Irrigation canals and structures

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Finances and the economics

• 130 billion base cost
• 1/4th Indias GDP
• 250 Indias tax revenue in 2002
• More than twice the total irrigation budget since
  1950
• Capital costs, recurring costs( OM and huge
  pumping costs) and incremental costs/overruns.
• To transfer 1 cusec of water 5MW of power

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Institutional and legal framework

• Water and Interstate rivers State subject, not
  National
• Domestic water is mostly free
• Highly subsidised irrigation supplies
• Municipal and water supply and distribution ,
  very few private operators.

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Water Balance across the river basins
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Benefits

• 34,000 Megawatt through hydropower generation
• 34 million hectare land to be irrigated
• Drinking water supply to urban areas.
• Inland navigation
• Flood and drought proofing
• Employment generation

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Impacts

• More than 8000 sq km land submergence
• Millions to be displaced, no proper resettlement
  and rehabilitation plans
• 50,000 ha of forests to be submerged
• Increased water conflicts, interstate and
  transboundary.
• Loss of biodiversity habitat loss, habitat
  fragmentation
• Intensive irrigation water logging and salinity
  problems
• Seepage from canals
• Mixing of pollution loads from rivers.
• Riverine biodiversity to be lost.
• Changes in flood and sediment cycles

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The Dialogue scope
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National Civil Society Committee on Interlinking
of Rivers (NCSCILR)

• Professor Y.K.Alagh(Chairman)
• Dr. Ashok Khosla (Executive Chairman),
• Dr. Biksham Gujja (Convenor), WWF
• Dr. S. Hashim,
• Professor Jayanta Bandyopadhyay,
• Professor Kanchan Chopra,
• Dr. Ramaswamy R Iyer,
• Dr. E.A. S. Sarma,
• Mr. B. P. Singh,
• Mr. A .D. Mohile,
• Ms. Medha Patkar,
• Dr.Tushaar Shah,
• Mr. Ganesh Pangare
• Mr. Nitin Desai

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Facilitation Of Dialogue

• Generate public debate about the project.
• Facilitate and improve the sharing of information
  and ideas between civil society, Government, Task
  Force, NWDA others.
• Bring in all the available knowledge and
  experiences from the past
• Build knowledge generated through independent
  studies.
• Advocate for appropriate policy framework.
• Strengthen the platform for civil society at
  large.

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NCSCILR Reviews
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The need of Interlinking of Rivers in India
Assessment

• Criteria for justifying or rejecting IBWT
  projects (as proposed by Professor W. E. Cox)
  (IBWT, UNESCO, 1999)

• Economic productivity impacts
• Criterion 1 The area of delivery must face a
  substantial deficit in meeting present or
  projected future water demands after
  consideration is given to alternative water
  supply sources and all reasonable measures for
  reducing water demand.
• Criterion 2 The future development of the area
  of origin must not be substantially constrained
  by water scarcity however, consideration to
  transfer that constrains future development of an
  area of origin may be appropriate if the area of
  delivery compensates the area of origin for
  productivity losses.
• Environmental quality impacts
• Criterion 3 A comprehensive environmental impact
  assessment must indicate a reasonable degree of
  certainty that it will not substantially degrade
  environmental quality within the area of origin
  or area of delivery however, transfer may be
  justified where compensation to offset
  environmental injury is provided.
• Socio-cultural impacts
• Criterion 4 A comprehensive assessment of
  socio-cultural impacts must indicate a reasonable
  degree of certainty that it will not cause
  substantial socio-cultural disruption in the area
  of origin or area of water delivery however,
  transfer may be justified where compensation to
  offset potential socio-cultural losses is
  provided.
• Benefit distribution considerations
• Criterion 5 The net benefits from transfer must
  be shared equitably between the areas of transfer
  origin and the area of water delivery.

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Objective

• Is ILR the most cost-effective option for
  domestic water security in drought-prone areas in
  India?
• Is India's food security critically dependent on
  the interlinking project?
• Can the ILR project solve the flood situation in
  India?
• How to calculate water surplus and water deficit
  in rivers?
• Will inter-state and transboundary issues be
  addressed and resolved?
• What are the viable alternatives to it?
• The NCSCILR aims to guide and assist the society
  and government in answering these.

• basin wise water balance studies to understand
  surplus and deficit water situation
• Review of overall foodgrain demand and the water
  necessary for it.
• Analyse ILR against the background of the
  established principles of integrated water
  resource management (IWRM).
• Review cost -benefit analysis of water resource
  development projects
• Review of the existing guidelines and standards
  related to taking up of such large water resource
  development projects,
• Impacts on environment and biodiversity in
  specific links.
• Environmental flow study in river basins,
  particularly in the context of ILR.
• Address policy, legal and Constitutional
  interventions necessary to address sound water
  resource development in India, especially in the
  context of the ILR.

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Assessment of specific links Ken-Betwa Link

• Details of the Ken- Betwa Link
• Link of length 231 km. and six dams proposed
• Ken considered as surplus and Betwa as
  deficit water basin
• Environmental/Social Implications
• Greater Gangau Dam alone cause destruction of
  3750ha of rich forest
• Submergence of part of Panna Tiger reserve
• No concrete proposal for rehabilitation
  /resettlement of likely affected population.
• Ken Basin Submergence of thousands of factor
  cultivable land at Chattarpur, Tikamgarh
  Jhansi District and Betwa Basin Hamirpur ,
  Mahoba, Banda, Jalaun Districts become flood
  prone

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Workshops, meetings and public forums

• At the World Social Forum 2004

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Academic Workshop organized by WWF and JNU, 04
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Transboundary River conference , Dhaka , 2004
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Book Release on ILR by Secretary, Ministry of
Water Resources, Government of India, 06
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(No Transcript)
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Present Government Position on ILR
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• Thank you