A Blue Revolution for a Second Green Revolution in Bharat

Water for Everyone

Once the project gets into the peoples' agenda, no power can stop it and it will become irreversible. So, it is critical to put in place mechanisms for involving the people in all the stages of the project. 

>1. This project was conceptualized over 20 years ago (Pg.1). So who conceptualized it in the first place? 

The idea originated from Sir Arthur Cotton who was the first chief engineer of Madras Presidency, who was responsible for Dawaleswaram anicut on River Godavari and Buckingham Canal. Later, Sir CP Ramaswamy Iyer, Sri VIsvesvarayya and Dr. KL Rao talked about it. Dastur also presented a garland canal project. An agency called National Water Development Agency was set up in 1982 to study the suggestions. The Agency was given one mandate: transfer surplus river basin waters to deficit zones. After 20 years' of work by 200 engineers, NWDA has come up with a Perspective Plan which rejects both KL Rao's and Dastur's ideas of Ganga-Kaveri link and Garland Canal. Ganga-Kaveri was not feasible because there was not enough surplus water in Ganga to take up to Kaveri; second, the lift on Vindhyas of 3000 ft. would have needed 30,000 MW of power. Garland Canal with 300 m. width and bi-directional flows required an enormous head which just is not there. 

So, NWDA came up with a brilliant solution to all the objections raised to earlier ideas. Ganga will get enough water from Brahmaputra links through Sankosh, Tista, Mechi, Kosi, Gandak, Ghaggar and Sharada. Vindhya will be negotiated by doing a pradakshinam, going around the ranges. Ganga will be linked with Subarnarekha from a link taken north of Farakka barrage. Subarnarekha will link with Mahanadi. Mahanadi-Godavari, Indravati-Wenganga-Penganga-Godavari; Godavari-Krishna 3 links; Krishna-Pennar 3 links; Pennar-Palar 2 links; Palar - Kaveri 2 links; Kaveri-Vaippar-Gundar; Kaveri-Vaigai-Tamraparni-Kanyakumari. West-flowing flash rivers will divert surplus waters to east-flowing streams: Bedti-Varda link to Tungabhadra (tributary of Krishna); Hemavati-Netravati link to Kaveri; Pamba-Achankovil link to Vaigai. 

To judge the enormity of the water-flows in Brahmaputra, the following stats are relevant: just in two months, Feb. and March, Brahmaputra carries water equivalent to the waters carried by all rivers of the country all the year round. If there is a 10% utilisation of these floods of Brahmaputra, the rest of the country can have enough water for the next 10,000 years. [Milankovich cycles ensure that the glacial cycle will continue this long and keep Devataatmaa Himalaya as the Great Water Tower which provides for the water-needs of about 200 crore people in Bharat, China, Burma, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam.] 

>2. Though the project talks of water cargo but there is no mention of passenger water transportation. You must have seen this kind of transportation in the US. Is that not possible in this project or in India? 

There is some passenger waterway transport on Meghna and Ganga basins. As the National Waterway of about 40,000 kms. together with a 7,000 km. long coast-line takes shape, the Waterway should certainly cover both passengers and cargo for e.g., from Bengal-Bihar-Jharia coalfields, Dandakaranya-Kiriburu iron ore and natural gas from Godavari basin. 

>3. The report does not talk about how international issues realted to this matter will be solved. For example, it seems very attractive to tap the Brahmputra waters but as frequent discussions with neighboring countries like Bangladesh has shown they are not even ready to let us use one drop more. Now how do we expect them to agree to this proposal? 

Bangladesh people will bless Bharat for mitigating the floods caused on the Meghana basin. There will be no depletion whatsoever in the water sharing arrangements agreed through treaties with Pakistan and Bangladesh. 

>4. Every year thousands of cubic tonne of water is given to Pakistan from the rivers of J&K by the centre government. It seems we are completely overlooking it and I feel that this flow of water is only going to grow and not reduce after this plan. Any opinion? 

The Indus Waters Treaty is working remarkably well since 1954. Paki gets Sindhu, Jhelum, Chenab waters. Bharat gets Ravi, Beas and Sutlej waters. Unfortunately, Bharat has not been able to fully use the gigantic Sutlej-Beas waters despite the Bhakra-Nangal and Pong dams (Govindsagar and Harike); even today about 30% of the water goes to Paki (which has used it as an offensive military line by releasing waters through the Icchogil canal during the last war to slow down the march of Bharat infantry). It is mandatory that the share of Bharat is fully utilised in the reborn River Sarasvati. This river (Sarasvati Mahanadi Roopa Nahar or Rajasthan Canal) which has been flowing upto Danan in Jaisalmer is planned to be extended beyond its present length of 650 kms. upto Gedra Road, Barmer. Another 150 kms. the waters will reach Rann of Kutch, Gujarat. By adding waters from Sharada transported across Yamuna, the river will flow up to Sabarmati. Sharada is a mighty tributary of Ganga with a hydro-electric potential of 25000 MW (of which projects are already in progress being implemented by Bharat in Nepal for 12,500 MW; Nepal gets to sell electricity to Bharat and Bharat gets waters). This will be the pivotal link in the National Water Grid. 

>5. On page no.12 it seems to say that the project will be effectively in place by 2010. By as far as I know construction on not one link canal has started yet. So do we expect this project to be completed in 6-7 years? 

Yes. Using 3-D radar topography, the design of the project can be completed in 6 months by presenting alternative links and reservoir/tank locations to every panchayat in the country and by involving them as share-holders and implementing agencies. The dam-reservoir component can be administered by 30 corporations for 30 links (14 himalayan and 16 peninsular); the links and canals can be administered by panchayatiraj institutions (rural and urban) all over the country. 

>6. It talks of public buying bonds for the proposed authority to raise money. I am no finacial expert but what incentive does the public have to buy these bonds? Are wepaying them any dividend or profit? 

A conservative estimate is that a net additional 9 crore acres of land with assured irrigation will be created. Again, a conservative estimate is a price of Rs. 1 lakh per acre of such land. So the project can be more than paid for by the Brahmaputra and Sarasvati Bonds guaranteed by ICICI, IDBI, NABARD and other financial institutions. The ultimate owners of land will have a five year grace period and a repayment period therafter of 20 years. 

The anticipated income from one cusec of water is Rs. 35 lakhs. Even assuming the use of only 2000 cusecs of water from Brahmaputra, the net annual GDP generation per annum will be 70,000 lakhs of rupees. 

The land will be put to use as the market dictates for agricultural production of a variety of crops, plantations and other uses. The yield from the land will be sustained for the next 10,000 years. So, the country gets richer by the creation of at least 9 lakh crores worth of productive land. The rest is income which will help move the country's GDP growth rate from the present level of 5.5% per annum to 11% in the next 5 years. The agricultural production will double from the present 200 m. tonnes to 400 m. tonnes, apart from employment generation for at least a crore of workers. The multiplier effect of such creation of wealth is immense; see the example of what Eisenhower did as President: he converted a war economy into a peace economy by implementing a food for work programme and interlinking every village of America; this made USA overtake Japan as the richest nation on earth. JF Kennedy said that America did this project not because it was great; America became great because America did this project.

So, this National Water Grid has the potential to make Bharat mahaan and gain Bharat's entry into G-9 membership (i.e., G-8 + Bharat), as a developed nation by the year 2010. 

The greatest benefit of the project is not financial or economic. It is cultural. Just imagine the expansion of the vision of a child living in Ramanathapuram or Khammam or Nagpur and thinking that the waters he or she lives by comes from the Mount Kailas, Manasarovar. The project will ensure the cultural unity of the nation like no other project can. Every child of this generation will earn the accolade of a Bhagiratha from the succeeding generations -- a 52nd century Kaliyuga Bhagiratha who collectively brought the Himalayas to every door-step and into every tap of pure, sacred waters from devataatmaa himalaya. 

All waters of Bharat will get purified and sanctified by the mere touch of a drop of water from Ganga as Gangaikonda Cholan, Rajendran II did about 1000 years ago by bringing a golden kalas'a of water from Ganga to add to the pushkarini in Gangaikondacholapuram. Eversince, the temple tank is called Cholaganga. The project will be an insurance against the types of disasters which desiccated Vedic River Sarasvati about 3500 years ago. We cannot allow Ganga to go dry on any account; we have to ensure the monitoring of the flows of waters through the National Water Grid on a continuing basis using satellite technologies, since the very survival of our civilization depends upon ensuring supply of free, pure water for everyone in Bharat for generations to come. We will have to ensure that Ganga's pavitrataa is not affected in anyway. On the contrary, by the touch of the Ganga waters every water-body of the nation will become pavitram-- sacred. 

Sure, we can take a dip in the sacred waters of Ganga in Chennai and of Sarasvati in Ahmedabad in our life-time, nay, by 2010. Aren't we living through exciting times! Talk of creating history!>

>7. funding. How does the govt. plan to raise such a huge sum of money. I am sure there are vested interests in the world bank who have deep pockets to loan money at comfortable interest rates. With a foreign debt of ~100 billion, we are essentially doubling this. Lets face it. Conservationists and Environmentalists from every nook & corner are going to start tapping the doors of the local courts and the supreme courts and increase the final cost due to delays. This is definitely going to stall the project, however flambuoyant and agressive it looks.Is'nt the same some of money more well spent on family planning/literacy programs across the country. Or is the likelyhood of raising such a huge sum unlikely for a such causes given our track record in population control?
 

The project will create a wealth of Rs. 9 lakh crores immediately. A net additional 9 crore acres of land will be made arable with assured irrigation. Rs. 1 lakh per acre is a very conservative average estimage. In small towns like Bellary, puramboke land sells for Rs. 1 lakh per acre. The cost per acre of wet land at Rs. 1 lakh is a very very conservative estimate. Assume that this land will be distributed to 9 crore landless villagers who will have the freedom to cultivate with farms or crops depending upon soil conditions. Assume that the land is guaranteed by a loan from ICICI or other nationalized banks with Sarasvati or Brahmaputra debentures (bonds, in US jargon). Assume that the loan of Rs. 1 lakh per new farmer is made repayable over a 20 year period with 5 year grace period. The land will yield Rs. 30,000 net income for the farmer and so, he should be able to repay the loan smoothly. I can't think of any project with such a fantastic return with a 3 year pay back period for the capital investment. The yield is for perpetuity. NO spread sheet can compute the total benefit to the economy; it is truly immeasurable. So, the key is in ensuring that the land distribution is equitably managed, with first preference being given to the people unsettled by the river and canal courses and reservoirs. The money needed will not heat up the inflation in the economy because the land will start yielding crops, aquaculture products, forest products and so on. The total money pumped into the economy over a 10 year period will constitute roughly 1.5% of the GDP of the country. This percentage is well within the competence of the local financial system to generate without going in for World Bank or Asian Development Bank financing. There is zero technology transfer needed and hence no need for foreign investments and high-priced foreign consultants. I am saying this with all sense of responsibility with my 18 years of experience as a sr. executive in ADB financing US $60 billion dollar project portfolio for over 600 projects in 29 developing countries. This project has only two components: reservoirs and canals. Reservoirs can be done by companies by L&T; canals can be done by village workers with supervision from village panchayats. The bonus benefit: empowerment of panchayat raj institutions in rural and urban domains.

>8. Rain water harvesting. This already successfull method will surely prove to be an immediate success right from the home level. Shoud'nt the central govt. pass regulation that all homesshould carry some sort of a rain harvesting structure, especially in the water abundant areas and non drought areas. This will surely help people take care of water requirements for daily personal use as well as for cattle in villages. Then such catchment areas could be tried out in villages to serve the whole community. I understand this may prove not so successfull in dry areas with little or no rain, but will defnitely reduce the pressure on water resources.

Surely, rainwater harvesting will work where there is rain, even if it 11 mm. as in Rajasthan Marusthali desert. But, this won't be enough to create additional arable land with assured irrigation. This will hardly suffice for drinking water needs and some sprinkler-based cultivation. 

We should keep a perspective view of the fundamental pattern of rainfall in the country. Even a 15% short-fall in the average rate of precipitation creates a drought-situation. This year, 2002, we have spent Rs. 25,000 crores in drought relief. Avoidance of such expenditures alone will be enough justification for the interlinking project.
 

The rainfall is unevenly distributed in space and time. As we move from Kashmir to Cherapunjee eastwards, the precipitation rates increase from 600 cm. to 12,000 cm. Most of the precipitation occurs on the Himalayan heights, recharging the glaciers; hence the 10 gigantic river systems --- each over 3000 km. Long -- emerging from the glaciers: Yangtze, huanghe (China); Mekong (China, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam); Irrawaddy, Salween (Burma); Brahmaputra, Mahakali-Karnali-Sharada (Ganga tributary), Sarasvati, Sutlej, Sindhu (all five draining in Bharat-Pakistan-Bangladesh). 65 to 70% of the fresh water of the country comes from the glaciers. Thus, when Brahmputra is in spate in February-March, the rest of the country is in a shortfall situation, including the Ganga basin. Gangotri glacier is receding. The only way to save Ganga is to ensure that the tributaries of the Ganga -- Yamuna, Sharada, Ghaggar, Kosi, Tista, Mechi, Sankoch -- all are linked moving surplus runoffs from the east to the west to ensure adequate flows in Ganga all the year round. IN fact, the waters which run off in two months of a year in Brahmaputra are equal to the run-offs in all rivers of the country (both non-perennial and perennial rivers) for the entire twelve-month period. There are hinterlands which are rain-shadow regions: e.g. southern Ganga basin, Vidarbha, Telangana, southern Krishna belt, Rayalaseema, Ramanathapuram. How do we make available adequate water to these areas which have scanty rainfall. How to enrich the livelihoods of the villagers in these rain-shadow regions. IF we do nothing, they will be forced to migrate to the Meghna-Barak basin which cannot bear the influx of large populations. Just look at the area drained by Ganga and Brahmaputra which have comparable flows of water: Ganga covers a command area of 9 lakh sq. kms; Brahmaputra covers less than 2 lakh sq. kms. This straightaway tells us that Brahmaputra is a surplus river basin. 
 

The only hope for the country to ensure equitable distribution of water resources to enrich the incomes of the 65% of the population who live in villages is to distribute the surplus Brahmaputra waters (which are now going to the sea, almost 90% of the water flow into the Bay of Bengal, unused for irrigation).

>8.Drip irrigation. For some time there was talk of getting help from Israel to introduce drip irrigation.Why has this not become popular. I understand the infrastrcture needed on a per farmer basis is expensive, but surely the govt. can subsidise the cost and train farmers in this area. Israel is an obvious example here.
 

Sure, this option has to be used. In fact, there is a cheaper solution. There is a scientist in Jodhpur (Central Arid Zone Research Institute) who has designed a gumla which can conserve water dramatically for each plant. Such cost-effective technologies have to be promoted in arid and semi-arid zones. But then, see the dramatic effects of the reborn Sarasvati in Rajasthan desert. Over 2 lakh hectares of new land have been brought under cultivation; forestation has begun and the march of the desert has been stemmed. Drip-irrigation or gumla's will not result in such a dramatic turn -around. As Sarasvati flows again right upto Sabarmati using Sharada river waters transported across Yamuna, nearly 10 million hectares will be covered with irrigation benefiting over 20 crore people. Tell me another project which will provide such a dramatic benefit in a short period of time. This will revolutionise the face of the country and make Bharat a developed nation by 2010, doubling agri. Production to 400 m. tones within the next 5 years and create 40,000 kms. of national waterway complementing the railway system and the 7000 km. coast-line maritime traffic. I am not even counting the fact that over 2 crores of people will be employed for the next 10 years for implementing the project.
 

>9.The CANAL system. 12,500 kms of canals is not going to come about without generating the quantity of mud and rock (try travelling in the dry deccan pleatau and you will see what i mean) not seen before by mankind. What does the govt. plan to do with this rubble. How does it plan to transport it and where does it plan to put it. It is going to create enough rubble to plan another Himalaya (of the brown kind) and at what cost. It will take tens of thousands of labourers cutting roads into pristene forests, literally handing out entry passes into forests creating a haven for poachers. India, i understand from what i read, looses about Rs10,000 crores worth of forest produce (illegal mining,logging and poaching of exotic species) each year. Won't we neutralise the gains from this project (if at all) by loosing more of the wealth in the forests. The net effect of the project will be an increase of the total forest cover from the present low level of 11% to 30%. The net effect will be forestation on an unprecedented scale, the most eco-friendly project that anyone can design is to ensure availability of water because water is the most eco-friendly dha_tu. Social forestry can be given a big boost. The area occupied by the reservoirs and canals will not exceed 40,000 acres; the total additional net area covered by command area of irrigation will be not less than 35 million hectares. Even Rajasthan desert will become the Ka_myakavana of the Pandavas' time. Dandaka_ran.ya will be in full bloom.
 

I don't know about the rubble. I suppose this can be quantified by experts. Maybe, we can reclaim some of the coaslal land which has been submerged by the onrushing seas (as has happened along the Cambay Graben and near Poompuhar)! Reclaim more of Bombay High for high-rise buildings! 

>10.Aboriginal cultures. We hope to gain from this project  more water for drought prone states, while some of the most ancient tribes and cultures happen to live at its source. These folks along with the lakhs of forest dwellers are going to loose a way of life they have known since the begining of time, to become farmers. We have enough farmers in India, we dont need more. We need more effecient ways of using existing water. How different are we from Saddam Hussain of Iraq who for many years tried to destroy the ancient way of life known to the "Marsh Arabs" who live in the delta regions of the Euphraites and Tigres. Should'nt we better use money to ancourage aboriginal cultures to live based on sustainable income, utilising there ancient knowledge of the forest.  Lakhs of these people will have to relocate to unsuitable strange lands where they will be treated as "immigrants" of sorts. We dont want to see the day the Chenchus and Korokus become masons and farmers, having lived as proud forest dwellers sustainably for such a long time. 
 

This is Medha Patkar turf. There is a Benthamite utilitarian principle in economics. Maximum benefit to the maximum number and minimum dislocations to minimum people. If, say, 10 lakh people are displaced and if 9 crore people will get a livelihood, can't the 10 lakh displaced people be subsumed in the 9 crore set? I suppose, the key is to ensure that the types of mistakes committed in Narmada project are not repeated in regard to the compensation for resettled people. There ain't no free lunch, as the Americans say. See what Americans did under Pres. Eisenhower who returned triumphant from the Second World War theatre; he had a problem on his hands to employ 1 million troops returning home. He started a brilliant food-for-work programme interlinked every village of America with every other village. You know what JF Kennedy said about this brilliant project in history: America did this project not because America was great; America did this project and hence, America became great. Indeed; America overtook Japan in terms of the Gross National Wealth within a 5 year period. That is what a mammoth infrastructure project does; it will energize the entire nation to work, induce a work culture and have such a phenomenal multiplier effect that the economy just takes off. Similar is the national river network project for Bharat; the project will take Bharat to a developed country status by 2010 realising Developed Bharat Vision 2010. Shake the entire nation into action. Involve every Bharatiya in a nation-building task. Unify the nation as only Bhagiratha did when he brought Ganga. Our task is to protect and sustain the Ganga that Bhagiratha brought for us and leave the nation a richer place for the succeeding generations. This is sustainable development, I think.

>11. Loss of Forest cover to catchment areas/dams could far exceed the 800 sq. kms. mentioned. One should not forget that the space needed to carry men and materials as the canal system progresses probably far exceeds the total area lost to catchment areas by magnitudes. Is there any real plan in place to replace lost forest cover or have we become so exuberant over the recent increase in forest cover across the nation (6% increase over original forested area) that we can take this issue for granted. The central government has a plan in place to increase (per Hon. T.R Baalu, union minister for forests)the forest cover to 25% of geographical area by 2007A.D. from the current ~20% cover.

 don't know the basis for these numbers. From what I see on the network rivers map, the area occupied is very small compared to the total area covered by the 40,000 kms. long canal network all over Bharat.

>11.Relocation of tribals and other effected people. What is the plan in place for this. We are all too aware of the fate of the tribals of Narmada valley. What new forms of avocation is the govt. going to impart on these people.
 

I think Hon'ble Suresh Prabhu has promised that resettlement of the people will be treated as an integral part of the project and not left to the state governments to implement under their rehabilitation programmes. The cost of resettlement should be worked into the over all cost of the project be it Rs. 5.6 lakh crores or Rs. 6 lakh crores or a lot less, perhaps. The cost is equal to spending Rs. 1 crore per village over a period of ten years, i.e. Rs. 10 lakhs per village. Surely, we can affors to spend Rs. 10 lakhs for each of the 5.6 lakh villages of the country to ensure safe and adequate supply of water for drinking and for agriculture and aquaculture and eco-tourism and to promote the cultural ti_rthastha_na-s. After all, our culture adores a_pah as sacred. 

>12.Ancient migration routes: Ancient migration corridors could be cut off, especially for the endangered Asian elephant. 
 

The elephant can swim and will finds its way around as happened in the Periyar project.
 

>13.A more realistic plan would be to start solving water resource problems one river at a time, after detailed environmental impact studies instead of opening fronts all over the country.It could well become a nightmare for the panel appointed to keep track of what's going on where. If the hope is that interlinking rivers will solve political problems like the Kaveri dispute between Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, i am afraid the situation could get worse once the actual project starts. Presently Karnataka gets to use only ~33% of a river that is born in the state while Tamil Nadu gets nearly 65%. Water disputes w.r.t Krishna are already arising between Karnataka and A.P, both of which are lower riparian states.Lets assume a canal system is built to connect the Krishna-Godavari-Kaveri.I If the center has problem resolving a dispute between 2 states, isn't it more difficult to resolve a dispute between 4 states (including Maharastra). 
 

This will be sharing scarcity. The only solution is to use Brahmaputra waters to reach out to all parts of the country; to use Sharada waters to drain north-west Bharat through reborn Sarasvati. Sharada (called Mahakali-Karnali in Nepal) is an extraordinary river with a total hydro-electric potential of 25,000 MW. Of this, projects have already started for 18,000 MW of hydro-power through bilateral arrangements between Bharat and Nepal. Sharada waters will augment the Sutlej-Beas waters to recreate Sarasvati river for N-W Bharat. The rest of the country (including Ganga basin) will get equitable distribution of Brahmaputra waters. We cannot allow the Rivers Ganga and Kaveri and Krishna to die. There are indications of the death-throws caused by over-exploitation of the carrying capacity of these rivers. With population slated to increase to 150 crores in the next 50 years, we better plan right now, with a gigantic project, which shake the nation out of slumber and into greatness.
 

>14.Regarding the linking of Ganges and Bhramhaputra basins, shouldn't this include the consent from our neighbor , Bangladesh? What happens if both the rivers are both in spate. Where will the water be released. What if both rivers are running dry due to monsoon failure. Then we will need to work  out with Bangladesh how much water will be diverted away.  One useful approach would be to identify those rivers which are constantly in spate every season and try diverting this river first before embarking on a marathon project across the country.

The major river identified is Brahmaputra. Taming this river will bring untold benefits to NE region and enable us to start developmental projects in the region and help integrate the region with Bharat. This must be a priority in the project to create commad areas for irrigation in North-east and start developmental projects in all sectors on a war-footing, providing employment to every able-bodied person in the North-east. I would suggest that a Rs. 1 lakh crore industrial development project should be added to the Rs. 5.6 lakh crores water distribution project.
 

Sure. We will take all our neighbours into confidence, including China. Bangladesh people will bless us for saving the country from recurrent floods of Meghna-Barak-Padma basins. There will be no shortfalls in the assured waters flowing into Bangladsh under the Waters Treaties with not only Bangladesh but also Pakistan. The treaties are working more effectively than the intra-state water disputes within Bharat.

10. Transport of water. Water can be transported naturally across a gradient. How can water be transported from central India to the deccan plateau, or from south to the deccan. The very name implies a flat chunk of land and to transport water across will need power, with a lack of power situation in most parts of the country. Time and again, history has shown that when man tries to impose his will on nature, nature forces itself back in a destructive way. When a canal is dug to divert water from a river, it not only effects the water level in the main river but reduces water levels in all its tributaries, effecting forests on a large scale. The loss of water to catchment areas and reservoirs will be miniscule compared to the actual degradation of forests.
 

The entire project moves water using only gravity. There is only one stretch near Inchampalli (on Godavari) which has a lift of 130m. I suppose even this lift can be avoided if tunnels are constructed. We are blessed by the fact that on the foothills of the Himalayas, we can move Brahmaputra waters westwards along the gentle slope across Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Bhutan, Sikkim, Jharkhand, Uttaranchal into Ganga. And, we can take off from Ganga north of Farakka into Subarnarekha, then to Mahanadi. Indravati-Wenganga-Penganga-Mahanadi will link with Godavari. IF there is a way to take another link from Hirakud dam it will be great, because more hinterland can be serviced by the network of rivers and canals.

>15.The panel is said to consist of only one wildlife expert. I hope he/she will be supported by a study group consisting of experts. Once the exact route for building the canals is finalized, will the govt, be patient enough to wait for an exhaustive ecological study of all effected areas is complete.It would be interesting to know who this person is and how the panel is going to be provided with ecological impact studies and its interpretations from across the country. China has embarked on the "Three Gorges" project on the Yang Si river. China's plans are a lot more easy to implement because of the authoritarian type of govt. and the submissive attitude that people in general have towards the government. India is a different story. Being a democracy, there are bound to be hundreds of petitions and law suits as we go along and planned implementation (especially with regards to habitat destruction, poaching, relocation) starts seeing snags. As far as threat to wildlife is concerned, we are yet to solve simple issues such as the case of Gujjars in Rajaji National Park and the relocation of tribals in Nagarahole. How is the country going to cope with relocation of hundreds of thousands, make sure they get suitable land and subsidies for starting out with what could well be a change is life styles.

I don't know about this. I know that the best environmental agencies in the country have been asked to provide guidance in implementing the project. China will complete the Yangtse-Huanghe link by 2005. Let us overtake China atleast on this front.
 

>16. Instead of embarking on such ambitious plans, shouldn't we first try to clean up the Ganga and Jamuna? This will provide consumption water for millions in Delhi alone.

Why should be instead of? It must be done as a mandatory requirement, whether the project is taken up or not. The project is not a substitute for projects eliminating pollution of rivers. The ongoing projects will get a big push with the big project. As water flows, as more water flows, the pollution of Ganga and Yamuna will be an anecdote of the past. Keeping the run-offs flowing is the best remedy for pollutants, apart from the usual stuff about controlling the chemical effluents from industry, etc..

>17. All the concerns and details can still be addressed, but the government should also take this opportunity to aggressively pursue passing legislation to designate several pending proposals for wildlife sanctuaries and national parks. This will ease the unease in the minds of thousands of people like me and go one step ahead to prove to the people that the govt. is serious about ecology.only about 4.5% of the country's geographical area is protected now (~150,000 sq. kms.). The prime minister who head the National wildlife board had stated that the percentage would go up to 10% with 5% being inviolate (core areas not open to eco tourism i hope).More developed African countries on an average have designated about 10-15% of land as protected sanctuaries.

The project has rightly energized the environmental groups. As the groups calmly study the imperatives of the project as a tool to bring the country to a developed status, the concerns of environmental groups will certainly receive the utmost attention. I cannot think of a more eco-friendly project than this. If the environmentalists have an alternative to this, they are most welcome to propose them to the Task Force; I am sure the Task Force members and chairman will respond with empathy and positively to address the legitimate concerns; I consider the concerns raised by environmentalists as most legitimate and their help is vital to make this project a grand success to make our grand-children bless us for leaving a nation richer than we found her.

Dr. S. Kalyanaraman

12 May 2003