Introduction
Although Sir Arthur Thomas Cotton, a British irrigation engineer, proposed interconnecting India's rivers in 1858, the concept of interconnecting Indian rivers was revitalized just a few decades ago by M. Visveswarayya, K. L. Rao, and D. J. Dastur.
The Indian Supreme Court directed the government to finish the river interconnection project within the next 12–15 years in 2002. The Government of India created a Task Force in response to this order, and scientists, engineers, ecologists, biologists, and policymakers began deliberating on the project's technological, economic, and ecological viability.
Since 2015, the Indian government has undertaken various river interconnection projects, including the Godavari-Krishna river interconnection in Andhra Pradesh and the Ken-Betwa river interconnection in Madhya Pradesh. These projects are being developed with the goal of boosting yearly per capita water supply for the country's growing population.
The National River Interlinking Project
It will include 30 linkages that would connect 37 rivers throughout the country via a network of almost 3000 storage dams, forming a massive South Asian Water Grid. It is composed of two components:
Himalayan
Projects in the Himalayan region include the Himalayan Rivers Development Component, which has 14 recognised linkages. This component proposes to develop storage reservoirs along the Ganga and Brahmaputra rivers in India and Nepal, as well as their tributaries. The objective is to preserve monsoon flows for agriculture and hydroelectric production while also controlling floods. The linkage will transfer surplus flows of the Kosi, Gandak and Ghagra to the west. Additionally, a connection between the Ganga and Yamuna is planned to channel excess water to drought-prone districts of Haryana, Rajasthan, and Gujarat.
Peninsular
Peninsular component projects include the Peninsular Rivers Development Component and the Southern Water Grid, which has 16 linkages that intend to connect South India's rivers. It entails connecting the Mahanadi and Godavari rivers in order to provide water to the Krishna, Pennar, Cauvery, and Vaigai rivers. This connection will need the construction of numerous huge dams and significant canals. Additionally, the Ken river will be connected to the Betwa, Parbati, Kalisindh, and Chambal.
The Project's Proposed Advantages
The appeal of interconnecting rivers is based on the knowledge that a significant amount of water from country rivers flows into the ocean and that if this flow is prevented and water is transferred from water surplus rivers to water deficit rivers, there may be a sufficient supply of water for everyone in the country.
On a more fundamental level, the initiative is seen as encouraging national cohesion and a just and equal distribution of the country's water resources. The issue of whether river connec