Indian Ken-Betwa link water project and Bangladesh

M S Siddiqui Legal Economist and pursuing PhD in Open University, Malaysia e-mail: shah@banglachemical.com
The ongoing Indian river-link project (ILRP) is not based on understanding of the environment and ecosystem that rivers support. The ILRP is not a feasible project on technical, environmental, socio-economic, and legal grounds. It will cause tremendous devastation to environment and economies of Bangladesh, India and Nepal. A watershedapproach in water resources management is needed in order to achieve prosperity and stability, writes M. S. Siddiqui ......
http://www.thefinancialexpress-bd.com/2014/02/01/16563

Indian government formulated a water policy beginning with the 60s having the idea to connect to countrys rivers has been talked about at regular intervals. It has been rejected each time, with incremental doubts about the feasibility and viability about the project. Another Indian commission, the Indian National Commission for Integrated Water Resources Development Plan (NCIWRDP) is also quite skeptical about the river link proposals. India has a National Perspective Plan for water resources development by transferring water from water surplus basins to water deficit basins/regions by inter-linking of rivers based on studies and feasibility reports prepared by Indian National Water Development Agency (NWDA) for optimum utilization of available water resources, the concept of interlinking of rivers was put forth from time to time for rational distribution and transfer of surplus water available in some regions to water deficit areas. The storages and links involved are of very large sizes and lengths; and the costs of construction and environmental problems would be enormous. On the basis of published information, the Commission (NCIWRDP) is of the view that the Himalayan component would require more detailed study using system analysis techniques. Indian Government has dropped many similar plans like National Water Grid by Dr. K.L. Rao (1972), Captain Dastur's "Garland Canal" (1977) were subjected to severe criticism and out rightly rejected quite long ago. India has 3600 or more big dams constructed since independence have caused crores of ousters who have not yet been properly rehabilitated. Such a mega project will cause loss and livelihood of lakhs of people, mostly tribal & dalits, creating tremendous social strife. This inter basin transfer involves storage of water, construction of canals and numerous major cross drainage works which may result in water logging and other environmental impacts more adverse than the normal water resources projects. The Himalayan component data being classified by Indian government were not available for analysis not made available even to a commission. NCIWRDP says has opinion that no socio economic criteria appear to have been laid down for evaluating the proposals.

This ongoing Indian river-linking project (ILRP) is not based on understanding of the environment and ecosystem that rivers support. ILRP is not a feasible project on technical, environmental, socioeconomic, and legal grounds. ILRP will likely to cause tremendous devastation to the environment and economy of Bangladesh, India, and Nepal. A watershed-approach in water resources management is needed in order to achieve prosperity and stability. The mountains, glaciers, rivers, deserts, oceans, forests & climate are all connected like a web in a macro dynamics of nature. Any nation should not tamper with such macro forces without a proper understanding. The project, if implemented, would ultimately lead to total decay of the existing river systems, especially deltaic distributaries and invite an ecological disaster. A mammoth project to link the peninsular rivers will engender a human catastrophe of an unparalleled magnitude. Any withdrawal of water at upper catchment may cause depletion of water resources lower down the river. This may cause severe inter-district, inter-state, inter-country disputes as witnessed in the cases of Cauvery or Ganges. There will be a danger of severe social strife that can break the country. One of the ILRP, the Ken-Betwa link project envisages diversion of surplus waters of Ken basin to water deficit Betwa basin is one of those projects. But due credence was not given by the Government on techno-economic reasons. The Environmental effects or changes resulting from project development shall occur on upstream and downstream sites. The various Indian basin states have expressed divergent views about the projects. There is no transparency of plans and implementation process. Geological Survey of India is also not sharing information. This mega project will cost US$ 120 billion, as reported and as usual cost overrun of such water projects may be $ 500 billion which is larger than the present GDP of India. This ambitious project to link 30 rivers and build 35 reservoirs for diverting waters from the upstream would leave Bangladesh high and dry. Diversion of waters at the upstream by India using the controversial project would reduce the Ganges and Brahmaputra flows by at least a third and cause severe economic and ecological damage to lower riparian Bangladesh. Such interference with transboundary rivers cannot be acceptable to lower riparian Bangladesh. The likely adverse consequences in Bangladesh would include disruptions of the Sundarbans ecosystem, increased salinity intrusion in the coastal rivers, increased sedimentation on the flood and delta plains and affect waterways, irrigation, groundwater recharge and fisheries in Bangladesh. India did not take into consideration of impacts on Bangladesh downstream environments, navigation, agriculture, industry, fisheries, salinity intrusion, mangrove forest, the Sundanban and coastal ecosystems. Bangladesh opposes to any Inter-basin transfer of rivers. Indian conscious citizen have concerned for own county. At the Jawahrlal Nehru University, a 3-day National Workshop on Fresh Water Issues, with a Round Table on National River Linking Plans on March 31-April 2 2003 came to an end with most of the speakers rejecting the river linking proposals. Speaker after speaker from academia (JNU, DU, Punjab University, IIT Kanpur) dismissed

the project and said the claims about irrigation and electricity are based on old data, which are no more relevant. Majority of civil society representatives in 2003 at "A Civil Society Dialogue on the subject of India's proposed Interlinking of Rivers" organized by the WWF Switzerland in association the Delhi-based Development Alternatives felt that the country did not need river linking, rather it needed people centered local water solutions that can solve the real needs of the people. This was the view of the participants ranging from former water secretary to the grass root organizations from diverse regions like Bihar, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Rajasthan, Maharashtra and Delhi. India can make all the available information, studies and reports on river link proposals immediately Indian citizens and other neighboring countries. Based on this information the people of this region can understand the viability of the project. The Indian daily The Hindu published a report on 27th November 2002 that the China has okayed a multibillion dollar plan to build the worlds biggest water transfer project to transfer water from South China to North China, including Beijing. The project includes three south-north canals in the eastern, central and western parts of the country, forming a network among the nations longest, including the Yangtze, Yeloow, Huaihe and Haihe. In the first phase the govt plans to invest $18.65B in the eastern and central canal project. By 2050 the project is expected to be capable of shifting 44.8 BCM of water annually, with 14.8 BCM, 13 BCM and 17 BCM carried out by the eastern, central and western canals respectively. Indian government is concerned of Chinese projects of dam and diversion of water. Nepal is also not agreeable with India on dam and other projects. As a result of a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) case filed by Indian citizens and environmental groups, the Supreme Court has issued an order in October 2012 to consider ILRP by 2016. The SC direction is not at all a defensible instance of judicial activism. The learned judges could have undertaken a more careful study of the subject with expert opinion before deciding to issue directions. The Supreme Court could direct to set up a Task force to evaluate the modalities of the linking of rivers and soundness and wisdom of the idea. India has suddenly decided to go ahead with the project on a misguided suggestion from the Supreme Court raises too many questions. All the countries China, India, Nepal, Bhutan and Bangladesh may exchange data on economic, environment and ecological impact and benefits before taking a project. The global environmentalists have widespread interest everywhere in rainwater harvesting and other water conservation ideas. The idea that stands out for its simplicity, efficacy and affordability is rain water harvesting. The process of capture rainwater, store and use is very simple technology, low investment and environment friendly. It is an appropriate technology built around the simple idea, which can provide decentralized, local-level solutions that can considerably meet the needs of our region. Any combine regional deserver projects may be considered by all countries in this region.