Issues with River-Linking Projects:
At the Southern Zonal Council meeting in Mamallapuram, the Union Home Minister emphasised the need to resolve water disputes in southern India and proposed river interlinking from the Brahmaputra to the Godavari and Cauvery as a long-term water security measure.The issue gains importance amid disputes like Pennaiyar and Mekedatu, highlighting challenges in inter-State water management and the debate between large-scale water projects and demand-side conservation measures.River interlinking aims to transfer water from supposedly surplus river basins to water-deficient regions through canals, reservoirs and diversion structures.While projects such as the Mullaperiyar Dam, Parambikulam-Aliyar Project, Krishna Water Supply Project and Indira Gandhi Canal Project demonstrate benefits of inter-basin transfers, large-scale river linking faces complex environmental, social and federal challenges.Experts argue that India’s water crisis cannot be solved only through supply augmentation. Greater emphasis is required on water conservation, demand-side management, groundwater regulation and efficient agricultural practices.
