**5. Need for Inter Basin water transfers (IBWT)**

Inter Basin Water Transfers is necessarily required to overcome the water scarcity situations in the regions/basins. These are needed to enhance water utility and reduce water wastage of water surplus areas in the following manner:


### **5.1 Indian National Water Policy (2012)**

National water policy (NWP) considered water as economic goods for promoting its conservation and efficient use. NWP was formulated to govern the planning and development of water resources and their optimum utilization. The NWP was adopted in September, 1987. It was reviewed and updated in 2002 and later in 2012. It stated that Inter basin water transfers are not only for increasing production but also for meeting basic requirement of human need and achieving equity and social justice [4]. Inter-basin transfers of water should be considered after evaluating the environmental, economic and social impacts of such transfers.

### **6. Issues: interlinking of Indian rivers**

In case of water disputes, Article 262 of the constitution of India provides "Parliament may by law provide for the adjudication of any dispute or complaint with respect to the use, distribution or control of the waters of, or in, any inter-State river or river valley."

According to the National Water Policy (NWP), water is a prime natural resource for human's beings as well as animals and, for this reason, a valuable countrywide asset. These days, it is difficult to explore freshwater due to boom in population, agricultural and industrial sectors, and contamination of water assets. By 2020, the world human population is expected to reach up to 7.9 billion and the world may face to great severity for freshwater. The India's annually receives about 4000 km3 of water from precipitation, but due to exclusive rainfall patterns and their mismanagement, leads to wastage of water. By the way of considering this interlinking of Indian rivers, a highly formidable and big project is planned, that is under debate.

In 1990, the Government of India appointed a high level Commission to have a look at the approach of water resource development in India, together with the possibility of interlinking rivers. The concept of canals linking is to divert surplus waters from some identified rivers basins to the water deficit river basins and regions [5].

In 2015, the Supreme Court of India directed the Government of India to draw up and put in force a program to interlink principal rivers of India. Subsequently, the Prime Minister of India announced its decision to work on the court directive and appointed a task force to ensure the implementation of the project by the same year [6].

The appeal of interlinking rivers is primarily based on the expertise that a huge quantity of water of the country rivers flows into the ocean and that if only this is prevented, and water transferred from water surplus rivers to water deficit rivers, there may be good enough supply of water for anyone throughout the country. At another level, the project is seen as promoting national integration and a fair & equitable sharing of the country's water wealth. Whether or not the linking of rivers will promote integration or generate greater disputes is a moot question. The expert belief that the river interlinking is essential to make sure adequate and safe water delivery to all people and anywhere. Domestic water use currently accounts for about 5% of the total water use extracted through wells, tube-wells, tanks and canals.

The requirements of water in different sectors growing rapidly but will still are relatively small compared to those of other uses. To meet the requirement under limited conditions, river interlinking is the only solution for this problem. Even if interlinking were justified for other reasons, it will be difficult to reach water

**71**

*Interlinking of River: Issues and Challenges DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.93594*

practices.

economic impact.

to the entire livelihood without huge investments in a centralized water distribution network. Through approaches of decentralized local rainwater harvesting, by renovating and improving traditional water storage structure can meet the essential demands of water for domestic requirement more effectively and at a low input cost. By far, agriculture is the largest water user and more than 85% of water from wells, tube-wells, tanks and canals are used for irrigation purposes. The water demand is increasing and will continue to be, by far, the biggest claimant on available water supplies. There is much scope for enhancing the water use efficiency of irrigation systems by reducing wastage of water such as runoff, seepage, evaporation, interflow and so on, and through efficient on-farm water management

The water demand for irrigation arises when rainfall is not sufficient to meet the water demand for raising crops and obtaining optimum crop yields. The annual rainfall is sufficient to meet the water requirements in the *kharif* in the country. Irrigation is required essentially to tide over insufficient soil moisture during dry spells within the season. In the states Haryana, parts of Gujarat, Punjab, Rajasthan and Tamil Nadu agricultural acreage which required irrigation during the *kharif*. Practically in the whole country, especially the northwest, irrigation is essential between the month of November and June. So far, these water imbalances have been met by water capturing technologies such as constructing water harvesting structures to store excess rainy water during monsoon for use in the dry season and by exploring groundwater. Some areas, such as Tamil Nadu, have exhausted the water potential for harnessing the surface flows. In several other part of the country, the possibilities for constructing water storage structure are limited. In these areas groundwater resources are already overexploiting to meet the water demands of different sector, so under these conditions the scope for exploring water is limited. In many areas, the problem is to check expansion and contain the rate of exploitation of surface and sub-surface water resources. Considering this river interlinking

is seen as a way out to solve the problem of water deficit of the country.

**7. Hashim commission report (2004–2005)**

An examination of the river interlinking raises numerous questions: (1) it is primarily based at the presumption that there are large surplus flows in some basins and that the physical transfer is possible in terms of physical engineering, and can be performed economically without growing any adverse environmental, social and

It is the fact that the most of the difficulty arises practically in all Indian rivers during the southwest monsoon. About 90% of south Indian rivers flow takes place in the month of May to November. Being perennial Indo-Gangetic and Brahmaputra river basins, the percentage of the total flow occurring during months between May and November may be somewhat smaller but not all that much smaller flow rate. More than 80% of the yearly flow in the Kosi river occurs in the month between May and November and almost three-fourth in the month between June and October. The prevalence of monsoon refers to the season when aggregate rainfall is sufficient for plant growth. In some parts of India, such as Rajasthan, parts of Gujarat and the Deccan, even the *kharif* rain is far too low and variable for productive agriculture. In some others parts, excessive water could assist transfer to more productive cropping patterns. Those deficit regions are far from those taken into consideration surplus water are required to transfer over very water harsh terrain.

The commission report highlighted that which rivers and at which locations water surpluses could be transfer and to which rivers, and at what factors in these

#### *Interlinking of River: Issues and Challenges DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.93594*

*Hydrology*

**5.1 Indian National Water Policy (2012)**

**6. Issues: interlinking of Indian rivers**

river or river valley."

4000 km3

under debate.

regions [5].

year [6].

and canals.

National water policy (NWP) considered water as economic goods for promoting its conservation and efficient use. NWP was formulated to govern the planning and development of water resources and their optimum utilization. The NWP was adopted in September, 1987. It was reviewed and updated in 2002 and later in 2012. It stated that Inter basin water transfers are not only for increasing production but also for meeting basic requirement of human need and achieving equity and social justice [4]. Inter-basin transfers of water should be considered after evaluating the

In case of water disputes, Article 262 of the constitution of India provides "Parliament may by law provide for the adjudication of any dispute or complaint with respect to the use, distribution or control of the waters of, or in, any inter-State

According to the National Water Policy (NWP), water is a prime natural resource for human's beings as well as animals and, for this reason, a valuable countrywide asset. These days, it is difficult to explore freshwater due to boom in population, agricultural and industrial sectors, and contamination of water assets. By 2020, the world human population is expected to reach up to 7.9 billion and the world may face to great severity for freshwater. The India's annually receives about

their mismanagement, leads to wastage of water. By the way of considering this interlinking of Indian rivers, a highly formidable and big project is planned, that is

In 1990, the Government of India appointed a high level Commission to have a look at the approach of water resource development in India, together with the possibility of interlinking rivers. The concept of canals linking is to divert surplus waters from some identified rivers basins to the water deficit river basins and

In 2015, the Supreme Court of India directed the Government of India to draw up and put in force a program to interlink principal rivers of India. Subsequently, the Prime Minister of India announced its decision to work on the court directive and appointed a task force to ensure the implementation of the project by the same

The appeal of interlinking rivers is primarily based on the expertise that a huge quantity of water of the country rivers flows into the ocean and that if only this is prevented, and water transferred from water surplus rivers to water deficit rivers, there may be good enough supply of water for anyone throughout the country. At another level, the project is seen as promoting national integration and a fair & equitable sharing of the country's water wealth. Whether or not the linking of rivers will promote integration or generate greater disputes is a moot question. The expert belief that the river interlinking is essential to make sure adequate and safe water delivery to all people and anywhere. Domestic water use currently accounts for about 5% of the total water use extracted through wells, tube-wells, tanks

The requirements of water in different sectors growing rapidly but will still are relatively small compared to those of other uses. To meet the requirement under limited conditions, river interlinking is the only solution for this problem. Even if interlinking were justified for other reasons, it will be difficult to reach water

of water from precipitation, but due to exclusive rainfall patterns and

environmental, economic and social impacts of such transfers.

**70**

to the entire livelihood without huge investments in a centralized water distribution network. Through approaches of decentralized local rainwater harvesting, by renovating and improving traditional water storage structure can meet the essential demands of water for domestic requirement more effectively and at a low input cost.

By far, agriculture is the largest water user and more than 85% of water from wells, tube-wells, tanks and canals are used for irrigation purposes. The water demand is increasing and will continue to be, by far, the biggest claimant on available water supplies. There is much scope for enhancing the water use efficiency of irrigation systems by reducing wastage of water such as runoff, seepage, evaporation, interflow and so on, and through efficient on-farm water management practices.

The water demand for irrigation arises when rainfall is not sufficient to meet the water demand for raising crops and obtaining optimum crop yields. The annual rainfall is sufficient to meet the water requirements in the *kharif* in the country. Irrigation is required essentially to tide over insufficient soil moisture during dry spells within the season. In the states Haryana, parts of Gujarat, Punjab, Rajasthan and Tamil Nadu agricultural acreage which required irrigation during the *kharif*. Practically in the whole country, especially the northwest, irrigation is essential between the month of November and June. So far, these water imbalances have been met by water capturing technologies such as constructing water harvesting structures to store excess rainy water during monsoon for use in the dry season and by exploring groundwater. Some areas, such as Tamil Nadu, have exhausted the water potential for harnessing the surface flows. In several other part of the country, the possibilities for constructing water storage structure are limited. In these areas groundwater resources are already overexploiting to meet the water demands of different sector, so under these conditions the scope for exploring water is limited. In many areas, the problem is to check expansion and contain the rate of exploitation of surface and sub-surface water resources. Considering this river interlinking is seen as a way out to solve the problem of water deficit of the country.

An examination of the river interlinking raises numerous questions: (1) it is primarily based at the presumption that there are large surplus flows in some basins and that the physical transfer is possible in terms of physical engineering, and can be performed economically without growing any adverse environmental, social and economic impact.

It is the fact that the most of the difficulty arises practically in all Indian rivers during the southwest monsoon. About 90% of south Indian rivers flow takes place in the month of May to November. Being perennial Indo-Gangetic and Brahmaputra river basins, the percentage of the total flow occurring during months between May and November may be somewhat smaller but not all that much smaller flow rate. More than 80% of the yearly flow in the Kosi river occurs in the month between May and November and almost three-fourth in the month between June and October.

The prevalence of monsoon refers to the season when aggregate rainfall is sufficient for plant growth. In some parts of India, such as Rajasthan, parts of Gujarat and the Deccan, even the *kharif* rain is far too low and variable for productive agriculture. In some others parts, excessive water could assist transfer to more productive cropping patterns. Those deficit regions are far from those taken into consideration surplus water are required to transfer over very water harsh terrain.

#### **7. Hashim commission report (2004–2005)**

The commission report highlighted that which rivers and at which locations water surpluses could be transfer and to which rivers, and at what factors in these rivers the transfer water could be taken. There may be no records at the large quantity of water to be transferred via different canals link, the location and extent of the region to be strengthen on the receiving side and the water distribution system via which water is to be allocated in the region.
