INTERLINKING OF INDIAN RIVERS AND ITS CHALLENGES

Umesh Salve, Sudarshan Bhutekar, Anuj Domale, Danish Ali

Abstract: Indian government proposed large scale civil engineering project to link the Indian rivers by network of canals and reservoirs named as National River Linking Project (NRLP). The concept of river interlinking is the process of connecting two rivers by constructing artificial canal which transfer water from water surplus area to water deficit area. This project comprises of 30 links out of which 14 links are under Himalayan component and 16 links are under peninsular component. If India succeeded to execute this project then it will be India’s revolutionary achievement in the global market. This project appears to be very simple but it has several complications. This paper focuses on the Concept of river interlinking in a brief and challenges as well as consequences of project in social, economic, political and environmental aspect.

Keywords: NRLP, River interlinking, inter basin water transfer, Ken-Betwa river linking, and challenges

DOI: https://doi.org/10.15623/ijret.2018.0702013