Interlinking of Indian Rivers

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Basin studies will give excellent validation, esp as international domain experts are involved. Other sensible moves such as early consultations and negotiations with key states like Odisha and West Bengal, resolution of interstate issues at planning, credible rehabilitation, user-charges for irrigation and exploitation of waterways. A modest start aimed for 1. Ken-Betwa project ph 1 2. Daman Ganga-Pinjal 3. Par Tapi-Narmada & 4. Chambal-Kalisindh

In the future, tapping of Brahmaputra and Kosi can be justified as flood control measures. Haryana and Punjab would be very interested in recharging groundwater, so there is scope for progress. Odisha might be persuaded to part with flood waters if it can have drought-proofing through inter-seasonal transfers. If this happens, an extension to South India can follow.

Interview: Uma Bharti, Union minister for water resources, river development and Ganga Rejuvenation

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Why is your government so keen on pushing the ILR projects?

ILR involves linking 31 new rivers, irrigating 34 million hectares and generation over 34 gigawatts of power. So, we are keen, like, after the Ken-Betwa project, there will be Damanganga-Partapi, which will solve Mumbai's water problems until the year 2060. But PM has advised me to not force the projects on unwilling state government.

As no state is willing to accept that they have surplus water, we are doing river basin studies. We have an MoU with the European Union and Australia who have done similar work. We instituted the Navalawala task force for people's participation. We emphasised on finances, environment and people's participation through command area development (CAD).

There has been opposition to the ILR within the NDA in the past, so how has that changed? Over 60 per cent of India's current irrigation need is met from groundwater and small irrigation projects. Experts have also warned that ILR will permanently destroy river courses, our most important source of groundwater recharge...

Manekaji is part of the cabinet when the Ken-Betwa project came, but she has said nothing. Groundwater will be recharged through ILR. Even Punjab and Haryana which are heavily irrigated states, now suffer from falling groundwater tables, will benefit. ILR will also make transport and passenger movement cheaper. Groundwater will be recharged to a large extent. If there are such large water bodies, like we propose with the canals of the ILR, it will recharge the groundwater.

The cost of ILR (30 links) is pegged at Rs 5.6 lakh crore (at 2002-03 prices). Where will the funds come from?
ILR will now cost us Rs 11 lakh crore. I have set up a committee headed by a secretary. We'll take resources, see how we can commercialise irrigation, try the PPP mode, or get the private sector involved. We can't depend on just government resources, for this will never get completed then. Any state that has progressed has done so on the basis of irrigation. See Gujarat and MP. If the country has to grow, it will grow only on agro-based industries and not on industrial growth. And irrigation is the backbone of agriculture. If a person earns Rs 50,000 per month through agriculture from an acre now, and if he can earn Rs 5 lakh after this, he'll happily pay for it.

Will Ken-Betwa be completed in the life of your government?

It will take seven years to complete the Ken-Betwa project from the start of construction. We should not link these projects to the life of a government. As our elders put it, you should not worry about enjoying the fruit of the trees you plant.

How many years will it take for the whole project to be completed?

Daman Ganga-Pinjal and Par Tapi-Narmada project reports are ready. The PM has told me that not a single tribal should suffer because of the projects. So these projects too should be completed in seven years. But there is Chambal-Kalisind, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan have certain reservations. These four projects can be done in seven years. If you look at the other projects like the Mahanadi in Odisha, actually speaking, it will take time to convince the state governments and complete the studies. It took Australia 40 years to complete the river basin studies of the Murray Darling. I can say with certainty that we can complete these projects in maximum 20 years.

What about the project-affected people (PAP)?

The states have now increased the irrigation potential (of the ILP canals in their states) and therefore, we are unable to calculate the numbers now. But don't look at the PAP, look at the benefits of this project. We need to focus on giving them a better life. We are working on a CAD model. What was happening until now is that the development of water bodies was not taking place simultaneously. We want to create a milk revolution on both sides of the rivers through animal husbandry projects which don't need lots of land. Even 1 acre will be sufficient (per person). Project-affected people will get priority for resettlement. I have spoken with surface transport minister Nitin Gadkari and asked him to include the 31 ILR canals in the list of 101 inland waterways he is working on. That will give us revenue. I've asked for PAPs to get the first benefits of these projects.

But given India's past track record in rehabilitation and compensation, shouldn't we be worried?

In the two big projects in India thus far, the Narmada project is considered the best RR project. In Tehri, the rehabilitation was flawed and over one lakh people were disappointed because a bridge could not be built. The people of Pratapnagar were promised a bridge, from 6 km, they were given an 80-km bypass. In the Naramada Sarovar projects, there was politics at play. There were not many project-affected people in Gujarat, but there were in Madhya Pradesh. But the people of MP were unhappy over minor issues, which I fixed in one month after becoming CM in 2003. Digvijay Singh, as CM, was instigating environmentalists... they were playing dirty politics.

We're creating 31 new rivers: Uma Bharti