The concept of interlinking rivers (ILR) in India dates back to the 19th century, first proposed by Sir Arthur Cotton for navigation and irrigation in South India, and later revived by Dr. K.L. Rao in 1972 (Ganga-Cauvery Link) and Captain Dinshaw J. Dastur (Garland Canals). The formal blueprint, known as the National Perspective Plan (NPP), was prepared in 1980 by the then Ministry of Irrigation. The project aims to mitigate the paradox of “simultaneous floods and droughts” by transferring surplus water from perennial rivers to water-deficit basins.
The National Perspective Plan (NPP)
The NPP, managed by the National Water Development Agency (NWDA), is divided into two major components comprising 30 identified river links.
Himalayan Rivers Component (14 Links)
This component envisions the construction of storage reservoirs on the main Ganga and Brahmaputra rivers and their principal tributaries in India and Nepal.
- Purpose: To transfer surplus monsoon flows of the eastern tributaries of the Ganga to the west, and to link the Brahmaputra with the Ganga to provide irrigation to drought-prone areas of Haryana, Rajasthan, and Gujarat.
- Key Links: Manas-Sankosh-Tista-Ganga, Kosi-Mechi, and Gandak-Ganga.
Peninsular Rivers Component (16 Links)
This component focuses on the “Southern Water Grid” to link rivers in the Deccan plateau.
- Purpose: To connect the Mahanadi and Godavari with the Krishna, Pennar, and Cauvery rivers.
- Key Links: Mahanadi-Godavari, Krishna-Pennar, and Damanganga-Pinjal.
Implementation Status: The Ken-Betwa Link Project (KBLP)
The Ken-Betwa Link is the first project under the NPP to reach the implementation stage following a tripartite agreement between the Centre, Madhya Pradesh, and Uttar Pradesh in 2021.
| Feature | Details |
| River Basin | Transfer of surplus water from Ken (MP) to Betwa (UP). |
| Infrastructure | Construction of the Daudhan Dam and a 221 km canal. |
| Beneficiary Region | Bundelkhand (spanning districts in both MP and UP). |
| Project Benefits | Annual irrigation of 10.62 lakh hectares; drinking water for 62 lakh people; 103 MW hydropower. |
| Environmental Concern | Submergence of a portion of the Panna Tiger Reserve. |
Institutional and Legal Framework
The governance of ILR involves complex federal and legal structures due to water being a State Subject (Entry 17, List II) but subject to Central regulation for inter-state rivers (Entry 56, List I).
- National Water Development Agency (NWDA): The nodal agency established in 1982 to conduct feasibility studies.
- Special Committee on Interlinking of Rivers: Constituted following the Supreme Court’s 2012 judgment (In Re: Networking of Rivers), which directed the government to expedite the projects.
- National Interlinking of Rivers Authority (NIRA): A proposed statutory body to replace NWDA, intended to function as an autonomous entity for planning, investigation, and implementation of ILR projects.
Socio-Economic and Environmental Impact
Economic Advantages
- Irrigation Expansion: Expected to add 35 million hectares to the total irrigated area.
- Hydropower Generation: Potential to generate 34,000 MW of clean energy.
- Inland Navigation: Creating a network of navigable waterways to reduce logistics costs.
- Water Security: Providing reliable drinking water to 101 districts and 5 metro cities.
Major Challenges
- Displacement: Estimates suggest millions of people, particularly tribal communities, may be displaced by reservoir construction.
- Ecological Disruption: Altering river flows can damage downstream ecosystems, lead to the “saline ingress” in deltas, and destroy biodiversity (e.g., Gharial habitats in the Ken river).
- International Disputes: Projects on the Ganga and Brahmaputra require cooperation with Bangladesh, Nepal, and Bhutan, involving complex transboundary water treaties.
- Financial Cost: The total cost of all 30 links was estimated at ₹5.6 lakh crore in 2002; adjusted for inflation, it remains one of the world’s costliest infrastructure ventures.
Other Significant Inter-State Links
- Damanganga-Pinjal Link: Aimed at providing domestic water to Mumbai by linking the Damanganga (Gujarat/Maharashtra) and Pinjal (Maharashtra) rivers.
- Par-Tapi-Narmada Link: Focuses on transferring water from surplus regions of Western Ghats to the semi-arid regions of Saurashtra and Kutch.
- Godavari-Cauvery (Grand Anicut) Link: A priority project to divert unutilized Godavari waters to the Krishna, Pennar, and eventually the Cauvery basin in Tamil Nadu.
Factful Trivia for Prelims
- Pattiseema Lift Irrigation: Credited as India’s first operational river linking project (completed in 2015), connecting the Godavari and Krishna in Andhra Pradesh.
- Kosi-Mechi Link: Bihar’s first interlinking project; it is the second project in India to receive a green signal after Ken-Betwa.
- National Project Status: The Union Cabinet provides 90% of the funding for the irrigation component of projects designated as “National Projects.”
- Surplus vs. Deficit Basin: The ILR concept is based on the controversial assumption that some river basins have “surplus” water, a claim often contested by environmentalists and state governments during drought years.