Godavari-Krishna link, first step in grand project
With the waters of the Godavari now flowing into the Krishna, India's long-held plans of inter-linking its rivers are finally bearing fruit. The Godavari-Krishna linkage in Andhra Pradesh was inaugurated on September 16 when the country's second and fourth longest rivers were connected through the Polavaram Right Main Canal and the Pattiseema lift Irrigation Scheme. Both projects were nearing completion, and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu provided the political push to take them across the last mile. Across the country, in Madhya Pradesh, the Ken-Betwa river-linking project is also making progress and is scheduled for completion by December this year. India has been talking about river-linking since the 1970s and the matter was pursued with some seriousness decades later by the first NDA Government. But the UPA Government that came to power in 2004 was unconvinced about the feasibility of the overall plan, and river-linking remained on the backburner for the next decade. Now, that another NDA Government is back at the helm, the project has received renewed attention. Experts believe that river-linking is key to solving some of the major environment-related problems that plague the country, from flood control to containing the impact of droughts and improving productivity of the farm sector. Yes, irrigation projects — big and small — will also have to contribute towards solving the problem but the linking of rivers is estimated to have a much bigger impact.
Implementing the whole project will, of course, be easier said than done. For one, it will require huge financial commitments and allowance for a long gestation period — and this is the relatively easy problem. The more complicated issue here is political in nature. The Union Government will have to work with State regimes and bring them on board. River-water sharing is already a contentious issue, and this project will only to the complications. Take, for example, the Polavaram dam which was to be constructed across the Godavari and was part of the original Godavari-Krishna project. The foundation stone for this mega dam was laid in 1980, construction began in 2004, and there is no clarity on when it will be completed. Another point of concern is population displacement, which must be handled with care and sensitivity, before it falls prey to vote-bank politics. The Government must also acknowledge that river-linking project has its fair share of detractors and, therefore, it must make a concerted effort to explain to the people the benefits of the project in the long run. Finally, it goes without saying that the Government itself must do its homework properly, including thorough environmental assessments and financial calculations, and then ensure proper implementation. A poorly constructed aqueduct in the Godavari-Krishna link, for example, breached within hours of the motor pump being turned on. This should not become the norm.