The apex court of India has given the go ahead for the controversial inter-linking river project, seeking to transfer water from surplus to water deficit areas in the country. In its final judgement dated February 27, 2012, a three-member bench, headed by the chief justice of India, expressed the “pious hope of speedy implementation” to bring the project to a success. The project, in the pipeline since 1980, has been touted by the Centre as one solution to a number of problems: making water available for irrigating 35 million hectares; enabling full use of existing irrigation projects; generating power to the tune of 34,000 MW with added benefits, including flood control.
It has been repeatedly emphasised in the court over the past decade that the cost is negligible when compared to the potential benefits. But this is hard sell considering there is no true estimate of the project cost. Earlier this year, the apex court had said that it would not favour interlinking of rivers if it causes huge a financial burden on the Centre. A decade ago the cost of the project was estimated at 5,60,000 crore; the true cost can known only when the detailed project reports of the 30 river link projects are drawn up, of which currently one—Ken-Betwa—has been completed.
Panel to expedite projects
The court's latest and final judgement on the matter mandates the formation of a committee to “take firm steps and fix a definite time line to lay down the guidelines for completion of feasibility reports or other reports” and “ensure the completion of projects so that the benefits accrue within reasonable time and cost”. The committee, with representation from various government departments, and nominated civil society representatives, must meet at least once in two months, says the order (see box). All existing reports are to be placed before the committee, which is ordered to take note of the suggestions in the reports and to take decisions as to how the same are to be implemented. The committee is mandated to submit a bi-annual report to the Cabinet of the government of India, placing before it the status and progress reports. The Cabinet will then be expected to expedite the matter within thirty days from the date the matters are first placed before it for consideration.
First link proposal was derailed
The interlinking of rivers can be traced back to the plans of British engineer Sir Arthur Cotton who sought to link the Ganga and the Cauvery. At the time, the idea was to improve connectivity for navigation purposes, but with the expansion of the rail roads, the idea was shelved. The idea of inter-basin transfers (from surplus to deficit regions) has been mooted off and on over the past century. But it was not until 1980 that the project gathered steam, when the Ministry of Irrigation formulated a national perspective plan for optimum utilisation of the country's water resources. In 1982, the National Water Development Agency (NWDA) was formed as an autonomous body entrusted with the task to carry out the water balance and feasibility studies of the river linking program. The work was divided into two components: Peninsular and Himalayan river development, with 16 and 14 link schemes respectively (see maps).
