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Manthan Adhyayan Kendra July 17, 2014 Interlinking of Rivers (ILR) Shripad Dharmadhikary, Manthan Adhyayan Kendra Image: Wikimedia Commons

Inter Linking of Rivers_Shripad, Manthan Adhyayan Kendra_July 16,2014

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What does ILR signify? A look at the core idea behind it, its justification,benefits and issues & problems associated with it. The author would like to thank UNESCO-IHE for the use of a few slides.

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Page 1: Inter Linking of Rivers_Shripad, Manthan Adhyayan Kendra_July 16,2014

Manthan Adhyayan Kendra July 17, 2014

Interlinking of Rivers (ILR)

Shripad Dharmadhikary,Manthan Adhyayan Kendra

Image: Wikimedia Commons

Page 2: Inter Linking of Rivers_Shripad, Manthan Adhyayan Kendra_July 16,2014

Core Idea

Transfer of “surplus” water from one basin to another “deficit” basin

Transfer from “flooded” rivers to those with “drought and scarcity”

Manthan Adhyayan Kendra July 17, 2014

Page 3: Inter Linking of Rivers_Shripad, Manthan Adhyayan Kendra_July 16,2014

Rationale and Justification

Need to irrigate 160 m ha for food self sufficiency by 2050, but assessed potential from conventional sources 140 m ha

Floods in one part of the country, droughts in other

Reduction of regional imbalances

Manthan Adhyayan Kendra July 17, 2014

Page 4: Inter Linking of Rivers_Shripad, Manthan Adhyayan Kendra_July 16,2014

Benefits

Additional irrigation of 25 m ha from surface and 10 m ha from groundwater

34,000 MW of hydropower Host of other benefits

Manthan Adhyayan Kendra July 17, 2014

Page 5: Inter Linking of Rivers_Shripad, Manthan Adhyayan Kendra_July 16,2014

The ILR Plans

Manthan Adhyayan Kendra July 17, 2014

Inter Linking of Rivers Formal name – National Perspective Plan

16 links in Peninsular India 14 links in Himalayan region, several

transboundary Plus, many intra-state links

Page 6: Inter Linking of Rivers_Shripad, Manthan Adhyayan Kendra_July 16,2014

Manthan Adhyayan Kendra July 17, 2014

Source: NWDA

Page 7: Inter Linking of Rivers_Shripad, Manthan Adhyayan Kendra_July 16,2014

Manthan Adhyayan Kendra July 17, 2014

Source: NWDA

Page 8: Inter Linking of Rivers_Shripad, Manthan Adhyayan Kendra_July 16,2014

Polavaram Par Tapi Narmada Ken Betwa Parbati Kalisindh Chambal

Manthan Adhyayan Kendra July 17, 2014

Some Active ILR Projects

Page 9: Inter Linking of Rivers_Shripad, Manthan Adhyayan Kendra_July 16,2014

Time Line

Idea of national water grid Dr. K.L Rao (then irrigation Minister), 1972

Garland Canal, Capt. Dastur 1977 Both rejected as “economically prohibitive and

“technically infeasible” MoWR and CWC in 1980 formulated the NPP Supreme Court order to expedite ILR 2002,

complete by 10 years Supreme Court order of 27 Feb 2012, constitution of

a “Special Committee for Interlinking of Rivers” headed by Minister, WR

Manthan Adhyayan Kendra July 17, 2014

Page 10: Inter Linking of Rivers_Shripad, Manthan Adhyayan Kendra_July 16,2014

Not a new thing

Many earlier attempts Periyar Project Parambikulam

Aliyar Beas Sutluj Link Narmada –

Sabarmati !

Manthan Adhyayan Kendra July 17, 2014

Map by: Rehmat/Manthan

Page 11: Inter Linking of Rivers_Shripad, Manthan Adhyayan Kendra_July 16,2014

Manthan Adhyayan Kendra July 17, 2014

Page 12: Inter Linking of Rivers_Shripad, Manthan Adhyayan Kendra_July 16,2014

Manthan Adhyayan Kendra July 17, 2014

Page 13: Inter Linking of Rivers_Shripad, Manthan Adhyayan Kendra_July 16,2014

Issues and Problems

Notion of surplus and deficit problematic Lack of recognition that different water flows

represent different ecological systems E-flows becoming a major issue in all river basins,

e-flows show that current notion of surplus is limited and wrong understanding

A little digression…

Manthan Adhyayan Kendra July 17, 2014

Page 14: Inter Linking of Rivers_Shripad, Manthan Adhyayan Kendra_July 16,2014

E-flows: Some Concepts

Manthan Adhyayan Kendra July 17, 2014

“The full range of natural intra- and inter-annual variation in hydrologic regimes, and associated characteristics of timing, duration, frequency, and rate of change, are critical in sustaining the full native biodiversity and integrity of aquatic ecosystems.”

(Poff et al. 1997)

Flow variation is the characteristic and all important parameter in defining river ecology, livlihoods and lives

Page 15: Inter Linking of Rivers_Shripad, Manthan Adhyayan Kendra_July 16,2014

1987-88 1988-89 1989-90 1990-91 1991-92 1992-930

500

1000

1500

2000

2500

3000

3500

4000

Ten Day Flows at Demwe Lower Site, Lohit River 1987 to 1992

Cum

ecs

Flow in Lohit River

Manthan Adhyayan Kendra July 17, 2014

Page 16: Inter Linking of Rivers_Shripad, Manthan Adhyayan Kendra_July 16,2014

Manthan Adhyayan Kendra July 17, 2014

Mahanadi, Just Below Hasdeo Sangam

Page 17: Inter Linking of Rivers_Shripad, Manthan Adhyayan Kendra_July 16,2014

Components of the flow regime

(Mathews and Richter, 2007)

Page 18: Inter Linking of Rivers_Shripad, Manthan Adhyayan Kendra_July 16,2014

Manthan Adhyayan Kendra July 17, 2014

Brahmaputra Plains

Page 19: Inter Linking of Rivers_Shripad, Manthan Adhyayan Kendra_July 16,2014

Manthan Adhyayan Kendra July 17, 2014

Hasdeo River, Tributary of Mahanadi

Page 20: Inter Linking of Rivers_Shripad, Manthan Adhyayan Kendra_July 16,2014

Ecological functions of flow

Channel formHabitat complexityPatch disturbance

Biotic diversity

Principle 1

Life history patterns • Flowers & seeds• Growth strategy

Principle 2

Lateral connectivityLongitudinal connectivity

Principle 3

Natural regime discourages invasionsPrinciple 4

Time

Dis

char

ge

spates

variability

access to floodplains

dispersaltriggers

stable baseflowsdrought

Bunn & Arthington 2002

seasonalitypredictability

reproductive triggers

Environmental Flows20

Page 21: Inter Linking of Rivers_Shripad, Manthan Adhyayan Kendra_July 16,2014

Issues and Problems

Apart from a mistaken notion of surplus No proper definition of surplus or deficit Surplus estimated based only on irrigation, water

supply and hydropower needs Needs of river, ecology, community, livelihoods not

considered Irrigation needs (maximum possible irrigation)

assessed only on basis of large dams systems Decentralised, rainwater harvesting potential not

considered

Manthan Adhyayan Kendra July 17, 2014

Page 22: Inter Linking of Rivers_Shripad, Manthan Adhyayan Kendra_July 16,2014

Issues and Problems

Many dams, canals, tunnels SANDRP estimates at least 78 dams and barrages Huge social and environmental impacts Particularly downstream impacts, displacement Very high lifts, up to 120 m Huge financial costs 340,000 crore Himalayan,

103,000 crore Peninsular, at 2003-04 prices Interstate issues as many rivers are multi-state International issues – ILR requires dams in Nepal,

Bhutan Diverting attention from real solutions

Manthan Adhyayan Kendra July 17, 2014