Like most large projects, the project too survives on publicity that hypes the benefits without substantiating them and belittles the negative concerns without enlisting them. On account of anonymity, an official in the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) said the total land rendered unproductive due to various irrigation projects was already over 23 million hectares.
From 1863 case of waterlogging filed before the Privy Council by farmers of Munark (then Punjab) to the claims put forth before the Auditor General in the case of the Tawa Project in Madhya Pradesh in the early 1980s, compensation for losing productive land due to waterlogging has remained largely unresolved.
One can read the whole piece, which appeared in The Pioneer.
http://www.dailypioneer.com/displayit1.asp?pathit=/index_archives/oped/opd3752.txt Radha Singh's Director General, NWDA response to Dr Sharma's article makes an interesting and amusing reading.
Mrs Singh rightly argues, “Irrigation causes water logging only if it is managed wrongly”. Black soil is so fertile that it is deemed unfit for irrigation, says Anupam Mishra, (a water expert of repute) making a presentation attacking about the foolishness of irrigation in the Tawa project of Hoshnagabad in Madhya Pradesh, which corroborates what Dr Sharma says.
Mrs Singh who has recently been shifted to some other department talks of benefits of proposed linkages such as hydropower, navigation, eco-tourism, environmental greening, arrest of desertification and employment generation.
“Mr Sharma is jubilant because Tamil Nadu's farmers had no answer when asked if they had access to data and details on the proposed river links. Perhaps they are smart enough to be convinced that augmented flows in the Cauvery and its tributaries would be to their benefit, and that of the State” says Mrs Singh understating her incredible understanding of farmers’ smartness who get convinced without information being supplied to them. Her presumption defies understanding.
She says, river linking project is a bouquet conceptualising 30 possible linkages. Large river valley projects are investigated in three stages-the Pre-feasibility Report, the Feasibility Report and the Detailed Project Report (PFR, PR and DPR).
As of now, PFRs of 30 links have been prepared, FRs of eight linkages, and DPRs are yet to commence, she adds. Although Mrs Singh is no more in the water resources ministry, will she let us know where are these 30 PFRs placed in the “public domain basic data” or does she expect the citizens to be smart like her Tamil Nadu farmers who get convinced without access to information.
for more please read her complete response
http://www.dailypioneer.com/displayit1.asp?pathit=/index_archives/edits/edit4296.txt 1. China's move to divert Tibetan rivers upsets India's river linking plan
China's move to divert Tibetan rivers has upset India's grandiose plans of interlinking its rivers. Experts now believe that China's not raking up its claims on eastern states of Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh during Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee's recent Bejing visit could be a diplomatic diversion to hide a far more serious matter for India.
India has planned to link 30 rivers at a cost of Rs 5,600 billion by 2012. A task force, headed by former minister Suresh Prabhu has already completed the feasibility report on six links.
The Tibetan plateau is the principal watershed in Asia and the source of its 10 major rivers, including the Brahmaputra (or Yarlung Tsangpo in Tibet), the Sutlej and the Indus. About 90 per cent of the Tibetan rivers' runoff flows downstream to India, Bangladesh Nepal and Pakistan.
India's major concerns are the diversion of the Brahmputra, which will make Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee's mega project redundant. Coinciding with Mr Vajpayee's visit, a team of experts was studying to construct a major hydropower project on the Brahmputra River in the Tibet Autonomous Region.
Mr Vajpayee's critics here draw parallels between his visit to Lahore in 1999 and to Beijing in 2003. "It is almost the same, when Mr Vajpayee was signing the Lahore Declaration, Pakistanis were digging trenches in Kargil. Now, when he was dancing in Beijing over China's reportedly giving up its claim on Sikkim, Chinese were drawing plans to put India in the doldrums," they say. Experts argue China's move not only threatened the environment but also national security. If Beijing goes ahead with the Brahmputra project, it would practically mean a declaration of war against India, they believe.
Originating from a glacier near Kailash, the Brahmputra is the largest river on the Tibetan plateau and the highest on earth. It runs 2,057 kilometres in Tibet before flowing into India. It has been discovered recently that the river's gorge forms the longest and the deepest canyon in the world. China plans to construct the world's largest hydroelectric plant at the Great Bend to generate 40,000 megawatts. Also the diverted water will be pumped northward across hundreds of kilometres of mountainous region to China's arid northwestern provinces, Xinjiang and Gansu (Gobi desert).
India and Bangladesh will also remain at the mercy of China, which could withhold water for power generation and irrigation during the dry season and release water during the flood season with catastrophic consequences for eastern South Asia. Taking into view that it is impossible to divert the mighty Brahmputra conventionally, China is planning to accomplish this project "with nuclear explosives". The Chinese Academy of Engineering Physics in Beijing has recommended this peaceful use of a nuclear device, said a London-based science journal. Since the region is an earthquake-prone zone, India's Disaster Relief Committee Chairman Sam Kannappan has asked the government to talk seriously with China to secure the future of millions in India.
Source:
http://www.timesoftibet.com/artman/publish/article_473.shtml http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=story_3-11-2003_pg7_11 2. Water rights for individuals?
India is about to witness a new debate on why a farmer shouldn't earn an extra buck by selling water, available on his field. The World Bank is sensitising the Indian government that it too could extend water rights to individuals in the same line as that of US, Chile , Australia , South Africa etc. The move is likely to minimise opposition against the government’s mega project of interlinking of rivers at an estimated cost of Rs. 560,000 crore. No wonder, a farmer near the city of Los Angles in US earns a decent sum merely by selling water to the city.
While talking to The Economic Times, World Bank’s senior water advisor John Briscoe told that if the Indian government gave water rights to individuals, it will be helpful in preparing compensation package for farmers of the donor basins in any river interlinking project. “Why will anyone give water to others, if they are not compensated suitably? The opposition comes only when there is confiscation and no compensation for water. Already, some farmers in India sell water, but that’s still illegal and is happening in a restricted manner”, said Briscoe.
However, water is still a sensitive issue in India , and is politically volatile, as Cauvery controversy has proved over the years. “I understand, rights over water are a politically sensitive subject in India , but somewhere down the line, individual rights over water are to be made clearer. And once it’s done, disputes over water sharing could be tackled effectively”, Briscoe added. Till now, the government has given a go-ahead only to Ken—Betwa and Parbati—Kalisindh—Chambal links involving states of MP, UP and Rajasthan. Said Briscoe, “In formulating compensation model, the international experience is to be taken into account. But that could be emulated only if India ’s legal position on water rights is made clear
For complete story visit
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/cms.dll/html/uncomp/articleshow?msid=262949 3. Disinvestment of rivers on the cards:
Union Commerce, Industry and Law Minister, Arun Jaitley spoke about the NDA government's national highways and river interlinking plans. Infrastructure was at the top of the BJP's development agenda.
Union Divestment/Telecommunication Minister, Arun Shourie said, India had currently one of the highest growth rates in the world, but Madhya Pradesh had not progressed in spite of its 18 rivers and 1,500 mines. In 10 years, he said the state's debt had increased from Rs 5,000 crores (Rs 50 billion) to Rs 35,000 crores (Rs 350 billion).
For the complete story:
http://us.rediff.com/election/2003/nov/20agn1.htm 4. IWMI turn around:
According to a Press Release of the International Water Management Institute (IWMI), IWMI has taken up an elaborate project on the strategic analysis of India’s ambitious river-linking programme.
Some time back on an earlier occasion IWMI had called experts and activists from civil society to ascertain their views for a research proposal on alternative to the river linking plan. IWMI is turn around from an earlier plan to study alternative to the present study of the river-linking project itself is baffling.
Besides ascertaining the adequacy of the proposed inter-basin links in meeting the future water needs, the research proposal will assess its cost-effectiveness and sustainability.
Revealing this at a press meet here, IWMI officials said the river-linking project prima facie appeared practical though several hurdles would have to be overcome before it could be implemented. The three-year study would aim at identifying the best practices to implement the project as well as the national water sector perspective plan (NWSPP) as a fallback strategy in case the river-linking project failed to come up. Moreover, it will also generate a national debate on the inter-basin transfer of water.
For complete story visit
http://www.business-standard.com/today/story.asp?Menu=19&story=27906 http://www.rediff.com/money/2003/nov/20river.htm 5. 'Timely steps taken against Indian river-linking project': The government of Bangladesh had taken appropriate steps in time against the Indian move to withdraw waters from trans-boundary common rivers, Water Resources Minister Hafizuddin, Bir Bikram, told the Jatiya Sangsad on 18 November, 2003.
For complete story visit
http://www.thedailystar.net/2003/11/19/d31119060265.htm 6. “Water is a commodity, which cannot be manufactured”: Suresh Prabhu
Chairman Task Force on Interlinking of Rivers Suresh P. Prabhu said, the modern-day challenges were responsible for the pressure on already scarce resources. Saying that clean air and water were precious commodities, he added: ‘‘We can get this back by increasing the awareness and thus protect our environment. Films have an everlasting impact on our minds and help in creating this awareness.’’
Commenting on the festival’s theme, Water for Life, he said: ‘‘Water is a commodity, which cannot be manufactured. The only way we can protect it is by protecting the ecology.’’
Magsaysay Award recipient and activist Rajender Singh said interlinking rivers was not the solution to solving the water problems in this country. ‘‘Instead we should think about linking the communities to the rivers. Then there may be a solution,’’ he pointed out.
They expressed their views at the national environment and wildlife film festival Vatavaran where Lt Governor Delhi, Vijai Kapoor announced the creation of two biodiversity parks in the Capital, one at Wazirabad and the other between Vasant Kunj and Vasant Vihar. The function took place at India Habitat Centre on 18th November.
http://cities.expressindia.com/fullstory.php?newsid=68441 
Email:: 
URL::