As many environmentalists feel, the social adversity weighs heavier than that of the ILR dream of Water Resource Minister, Uma Bharati. ILR is an old dream of Sir Aurther Cotton, an engineer of the British rule (who planned and executed the Dowleswaram Barage on the Godavari), who proposed interlinking of rivers, in 1858, for navigation and also to fight floods and droughts. Later, KL Rao, India’s Irrigation and Power Minister for three consecutive terms, in 1972 mooted to have 2,640 km-long canal to transfer monsoon flood waters from the Ganges near Patna to the Cauvery in the South. “River was not a bundle of pipes which can be cut, turned pipes and welded at will,” says Rama Swamy Iyer, Former Water Resource Secretary, vehemently opposing the inter-linking of rivers (ILR).

What we've learnt from previous efforts

Lessons from the past show the plight of millions displaced to make way for the water projects, despite the government’s rehabilitation policies. Massive displacement of the tribals and the poor in the proposed ILR will face similar fate.

As per the records, 10,500-km long network of canals would displace about 5.5 million tribals and farmers.

Besides, environmentalists express their concern over the seismic hazards in the Himalayan area. Interlinking of rivers will reportedly reduce the amount of fresh water in to the seas and this will cause a serious threat to marine life systems and will lead to ecological disorder.

However, according to NWDA, the overall implementation of ILR programme under National Perspective Plan would help 35 million hectares of irrigational land, raising the ultimate irrigation potential from 140 million hectare to 175 million hectare and generation of 34,000 megawatt of power, apart from the incidental benefits of flood control, navigation, water supply, fisheries, salinity and pollution control etc.

Interlinking of rivers is definitely a good solution for the scarcity of water but interlinking has to take place after a detailed study so that it does not cause any problem to the environment or aquatic life.