India has a strange relationship with water.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Every monsoon, while some parts of the country are drowning, other parts are begging for rain; while some people risk their lives due to overflowing rivers, in other states, water is carefully metered out as a precious resource. So when a solution as seemingly simple as taking some of the water away from those who have plenty and bringing it to those who have none is suggested, it seems like a no-brainer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Such logic is the reason why India’s ambitious Interlinking of Rivers Programme exists<\/p>\n\n\n\n
and why it has existed for so long \u2013 the National Perspective Plan for interlinking rivers, which envisions 30 river-linking projects, has been in place since 1980. However, in the meantime, India has seen the implementation of only a small fraction of the envisioned projects. The most recent of them, the Ken-Betwa river linking project, also happens to be the most controversial, as it involves the displacement of many tribal families.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
India’s need for an extensive water distribution project is undisputed. Every year, millions of hectares of crops are lost to dryness, while other regions are deluged by floods, and the country’s drinking water supply is at risk.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
However, the environment cannot simply be dismissed as an inconvenience whenever development takes priority.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It is easy to think in terms of resources – to calculate the amount of farmland that will become dry and the number of people who will need to be displaced to bring water to them. Less simple is to account for the feelings of those who will be displaced, whose lives and livelihoods will be interrupted for the benefit of others. A spreadsheet can show the amount of electricity that a certain dam will generate, but it cannot show the grief of a family that has been uprooted from its ancestral home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
That is not to say that any dam or river-diversion project should be opposed at all costs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It would be just as myopic to dismiss any sacrifice in the name of the environment. It is undisputed that India needs investment in water management, as the country has serious water stresses ahead. Its agriculture sector, the backbone of its economy, is water-intensive but extremely reliant on the whims of nature.Meanwhile, erratic monsoons wreak havoc with both people and the environment. A more systematic approach to water distribution would be beneficial to both. However, when choosing between development and the environment, it is important to remember that there are shades of grey in between.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
There are several problems with trying to treat rivers as highways for water.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
First of all, it fails to consider the fact that these rivers are part of an ecosystem. Diverting their waters affects that ecosystem, often irreversibly.While it is true that dry, barren land can profit enormously from being flooded, it is also true that draining one region to water another will inevitably cause the loss of wetlands, forests, and biodiversity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The same holds true for the impact on the groundwater. Even more problematically, by ignoring the impact on the environment, politicians and planners greatly underestimate the impact on people. Development cannot take place in a vacuum – it always has costs and consequences. In the case of river-linking, communities are disrupted, their traditions and ancestral bonds with the land severed. While it is easy to formulate solutions in purely economic terms, it is important to remember that people matter, just as much as the environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It is a matter of choosing between a country of numbers and a country of people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
There is one final issue with the way river-linking is being considered – it is an ineffective approach to water distribution. Draining one region to give water to another treats the symptoms, not the cause. It should not be forgotten that behind every region that is drowning is a region that is in desperate need of water.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As previously stated, climate change is making it even more difficult for India to count on regular, reliable monsoons. As a result, it is now more important than ever that India develops a systematic and effective way of storing and distributing water.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
River-linking is not the solution to that problem – it is merely a small part of a much larger effort that involves better water conservation, harvesting rainwater, developing sustainable irrigation practices, and investing in agricultural research. In addition, local authorities need to be accountable for the decisions being made, as they bear the responsibility for actually implementing these policies on the ground.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
India, a country which prides itself on its achievements in many spheres, often defines itself in terms of the numbers it accumulates – kilometres of roads built, millions of tonnes of steel produced, hundreds of millions of people lifted out of poverty. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Perhaps it is time for India to measure itself differently – in terms of how many people it has listened to, how many people it has given a chance to contribute to the national conversation, and how many people it has made better, stronger and more empowered to build their own future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A river can be diverted, a political career launched, a dam built. However, it is much more difficult to restore a sense of belonging and community to a displaced village. That is why the controversy over India’s river-linking programme is not really about rivers. It is about whether India has learned to listen – to understand that while its people are united by a common goal, they have different needs, hopes and dreams.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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