WIO requests SC to re-look on river linkage decision

BHUBANESWAR: The Water Initiatives Odisha (WIO) requested the Supreme Court to have a re-look at its recently given judgement and review of implementation of the highly ambitious river interlinking project in a time bound manner in the country.

The Apex Court on Monday directed the Centre to implement the ambitious interlinking of rivers project which was started at the time of NDA regime in 2002. The court also directed to appoint a high-powered committee for its planning and implementation within the stipulated time.

After implementation of the project, the rivers of the country will be interlinked with canals and the purpose of this would be to transfer surplus water of a river to another water needed river. Extra water storage dams would be built along the course of these rivers. But some social organisations like the WIO have raised questions over the project as the ecological balance of the rivers will be affected by the project and the rivers will lose its ecological identity.   

“It is not a feasible proposal for India, but an ecologically devastated proposal. This project will bring not only ecological disaster but also huge displacement problem and inter-state conflict for water distribution process,” said WIO convener Ranjan Panda to The Pioneer.

Regarding interlinking of the Mahanadi in the highly ambitious project, WIO convener said the Mahanadi is no more a water surplus river with industrial allocation already touching more than 60 per cent of the total flow available. The river is struggling to maintain its minimum ecological flow in the non-monsoon seasons, he said adding, “What the river now needs is lease of life itself. Any further diversion of the water from the Mahanadi will mean a death certificate to the river.”

The WIO also said that if the Government wants to start the project within the time bound manner, it should have to follow the Environmental Impact Assessment before going through the project. “We have requested the Supreme Court to take cognizance of such serious issues and reconsider its decision,” said Panda.

It may be noted that the interlinking of rivers in India would raise the irrigation potential to 160 million hectares for all types of crops by 2050, according to a report given by a Centre-appointed task force.