WATER WAR

WATER- a natural resource, identified as Liquid Gold, available underground or through rains. Water is useful for Agriculture, Navigation, Energy generation and for drinking. India, agriculture base country depends on river water for agriculture. It has been observed that our country exits with 4 percent water resources and 15 percent of world's population. Per capita availability of water was 6008 cubic meters in 1947 reduces to 1,700 cubic meter in 2000 and expected to decline further to 1,140 cubic meter by 2050. A day may come where water become GOLD, rare natural resources!

At present Water per capita availability in India varies from 13,000 cubic meters in Brahmaputra basin to 300 cubic meters in Pennar and Sabarmati basins. The total utilizable flow of water in India is 690 BCM, excluding groundwater. The total storage capacity created so far is 177 BCM and another 70 BCM through projects, which are under construction in addition to 132 BCM from planned projects. There is a shortage of 211 BCM. Floods are quite natural during monsoon season in North Eastern states and drought due to scanty rains in Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka. To solve the water crises experts proposed to link all rivers in India (Ganga-Cauvery rivers link), which will have equal distribution of water resources (Suresh P.Prabhu, 2004).

In 1980, a national perspectives plan for inter-basin transfer of water was prepared and in 1982 the government set up the National Water Development Agency (NWDA) to prepare feasibility studies. NWDA plan of inter linking of rivers suggests to transfer of floodwater in to deficient basins to creating a network of canal and storage basins. This will increase irrigation potential, enable groundwater recharge, moderate floods and meet the needs of water- deficient areas, in the process of opening up navigation facilities and other benefits. The estimated cost of inter-liking would be Rs.24,500 cores (Suresh P.Prabhu, 2004). The "interlinking of rivers to divert flood- water to arid area is not the solution to solve the paradox of floods and drought," says Ramaswamv R.Iver ("20041 He explains that a significant moderation of floods will call for a massive diversion of waters which may be either technically unfeasible or have serious consequences for the river regime down stream of the diversion point and in the recipient areas. Even if the entire river linking proposals are implemented, the contribution that will make the mitigation of the flood problem will not be substantial. Danu Roy (2004) argues that periodic floods and droughts are hardly a "problem", and explains that they are part of nature's cycle. On the other side Punjab denial of water from SYS to Haryana and Rajasthan and Karnataka-Tamil Nadu-Cauvery political war are added dimensions to solve "Flood and drought" situation. Active Socialist Ms.Medha Patkar says river linking may affect selected group of population in terms of "displacement and dislocation" and add up to poverty. Problem should be solved according to local needs. Ramaswamy (2004) concludes, "no one will deny the urgent need to deal with the problems of recurrent floods and droughts but this can not be done by linking the two together". Is river linking in India will not solve the water problem? 

Reference:

l.Suresh P.Prabhu (2004):  "Garland of Hope: River-linking as a Solution to water crises", The Times of India, Mumbai, August 14.

Z.Ramaswamy R.Iyer (2004): "RisingRivers, Arid Lands: Interlinking will not solve the problem " The Times of India, Mumbai, July 20.

3.Dunu Roy (2004):  "Garland of Hype: River-linking A misplaced technological fantasy ", The Times of India, Mumbai, August 27. (Above   references    in   pdf   form   can   be downloaded: http://www.populatonenvis.org/news_clips.htm