Water is a precious commodity. Therefore water infrastructure or water transfer projects involve a set of complex issues. Interestingly, India has demonstrated economically and ecologically viable water management techniques at several places.
For instance, the Bundelkhand region was able to tackle water scarcity and drought under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act(MGNREGA). Noteworthily, these projects are climate resilient, sustainable and cost effective.
However, India’s mega plans to interlink rivers and broader vision of involving cross-border river basins are raising concerns, political tensions and water disputes.
The benefits of river interlinking projects are outweighed by its disadvantages. Interlinking of rivers can cause ecological imbalance and displacement of millions of people.
The government of India has approved -The Ken-Betwa Link project (KBLP). With this river linkage project, the government is expected to address imbalance in water availability and mitigate the complex issue of flood and drought. Ken and Betwa are tributaries of the river Yamuna that originate in Madhya Pradesh. Researchers have identified that large-scale irrigation projects can impact monsoon patterns and moreover, wildlife conservation concerns like passing of the project through the critical tiger habitat of Panna Tiger Reserve.
From a drought stricken village to water surplus village, parched lands to agricultural lands, the country has witnessed stories of resilience. Several schemes and initiatives played a vital role to achieve them. Sadly, these schemes and initiatives are sidelined stating various execution reasons.
In the era of climate crisis, climate adaptation should be the new agenda. India has a long history of such climate resilient development projects. All it requires is a small push to move forward and achieve it. We leave the last word with one of India’s iconic Prime Ministers.
Prime Minister Vajpayee once wisely recommended to us: “Catch every raindrop where it falls”.
What are your thoughts on green recovery and choosing climate resilient projects over unsustainable ones? Do let us know.
Featured Photo: Photo by Zeynep Sude Emek: https://www.pexels.com/photo/view-of-a-river-19272887/
