The Hindu: Published on 9th Jan 2025:
Why in News?
On December 25, 2024, Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone for the Ken-Betwa River Link Project, a controversial initiative aimed at addressing water scarcity in Bundelkhand. The project involves constructing a dam within the Panna Tiger Reserve, raising significant environmental and ecological concerns.
Ken-Betwa River Link Project:
Objective: Connect the Ken (a supposed surplus river) to the Betwa to mitigate water scarcity in Bundelkhand.
Features: Includes a large dam in the Panna Tiger Reserve.
Environmental Cost: Risks include submergence of ecologically sensitive areas, disruption of wildlife habitats, and long-term environmental degradation.
Economic Burden: Estimated cost of ₹45,000 crore, excluding social and operational costs, potentially increasing taxes for the public.
A Misplaced Model:
Historical Context: Originated from 19th-century ideas of Sir Arthur Cotton and was later refined and expanded upon by engineers like M. Visvesvaraya.
Fundamental Flaws: The concept assumes a surplus-deficit model of water availability without accounting for climate variability and ecological sustainability.
Current Issues:
Grandiose technological fixes often overshadow more sustainable, local solutions.
River interlinking projects fail to consider the irreversible damage to deltaic regions, biodiversity, and groundwater recharge.
Eco-Services of Rivers:
Ignored Realities:
Rivers provide critical services like silt transport, land fertility, biodiversity sustenance, and saltwater balance in deltas.
Mischaracterizing floodwaters as surplus ignores their role in ecological cycles.
Global Lessons:
Examples such as the Indus Delta and the Kissimmee River demonstrate the disastrous consequences of river manipulation.
The drying of the Aral Sea highlights the long-term ecological and societal costs of water diversion projects.
The Real Reasons for India’s Water Crisis:
Core Issues:
Poor water management, weak regulations, and rampant corruption.
Lack of focus on sustainable practices like aquifer management and wastewater reuse.
Potential Solutions:
- Learn from Israel’s drip irrigation and modernised water management practices.
- Incorporate traditional and vernacular watershed management strategies.
- Engage farmers and local communities in decision-making.
Conclusion:
The Ken-Betwa River Link Project exemplifies a flawed approach to India’s water crisis. The project overlooks the immense environmental, social, and economic costs, risking the destruction of vital ecosystems and biodiversity. Instead of pursuing unsustainable geoengineering solutions, India should adopt a holistic and inclusive water management policy that respects ecological integrity and integrates modern and traditional knowledge systems.
The contradiction between Hindutva's reverence for rivers and the current policy of river interlinking highlights the urgent need for alignment between ideology and action to protect India’s rivers for future generations.
