River Linking
Encyclopedia
River Linking is project linking two or more river
s by creating a network of manually created canal
s, and providing land areas that otherwise does not have river water access and reducing the flow of water to sea using this means. It is based on the assumptions that surplus water in some rivers can be diverted to deficit rivers by creating a network of canals to interconnect the rivers.
and unusable for agriculture
become fertile.
s while other areas might be experiencing drought
like situations. With network of rivers this problem can be greatly avoided by channeling excess water to areas that are not experiencing a flood or are dry. This works similar to canal system in Netherlands
to channel excess water from sea.
to generate hydroelectric power becomes a possibility.
.
while mitigating the impacts of recurrent floods in the eastern parts of the Ganga basin
. The NRLP, if and when implemented, will be one of the biggest interbasin water transfer projects in the world.
s are of the opinion that the project could be an ecological disaster. There would be a decrease in downstream flows resulting in reduction of fresh water
inflows into the seas seriously jeopardizing aquatic life.
in certain area.
River
A river is a natural watercourse, usually freshwater, flowing towards an ocean, a lake, a sea, or another river. In a few cases, a river simply flows into the ground or dries up completely before reaching another body of water. Small rivers may also be called by several other names, including...
s by creating a network of manually created canal
Canal
Canals are man-made channels for water. There are two types of canal:#Waterways: navigable transportation canals used for carrying ships and boats shipping goods and conveying people, further subdivided into two kinds:...
s, and providing land areas that otherwise does not have river water access and reducing the flow of water to sea using this means. It is based on the assumptions that surplus water in some rivers can be diverted to deficit rivers by creating a network of canals to interconnect the rivers.
Irrigation
By linking of rivers vast amount of land areas which does not have otherwise irrigatedIrrigation
Irrigation may be defined as the science of artificial application of water to the land or soil. It is used to assist in the growing of agricultural crops, maintenance of landscapes, and revegetation of disturbed soils in dry areas and during periods of inadequate rainfall...
and unusable for agriculture
Agriculture
Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...
become fertile.
Flood prevention
During heavy rainy seasons some areas can experience heavy floodFlood
A flood is an overflow of an expanse of water that submerges land. The EU Floods directive defines a flood as a temporary covering by water of land not normally covered by water...
s while other areas might be experiencing drought
Drought
A drought is an extended period of months or years when a region notes a deficiency in its water supply. Generally, this occurs when a region receives consistently below average precipitation. It can have a substantial impact on the ecosystem and agriculture of the affected region...
like situations. With network of rivers this problem can be greatly avoided by channeling excess water to areas that are not experiencing a flood or are dry. This works similar to canal system in Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
to channel excess water from sea.
Generation of electricity
With new canals built, feasibility of new DAMSDam
A dam is a barrier that impounds water or underground streams. Dams generally serve the primary purpose of retaining water, while other structures such as floodgates or levees are used to manage or prevent water flow into specific land regions. Hydropower and pumped-storage hydroelectricity are...
to generate hydroelectric power becomes a possibility.
Navigation
Newly created network of canals opens up new routes and ways and routes of water navigation, which is generally more efficient and cheaper compared to road transportRoad transport
Road transport or road transportation is transport on roads of passengers or goods. A hybrid of road transport and ship transport is the historic horse-drawn boat.-History:...
.
National River Linking Project in INDIA
The National River Linking Project (NRLP) is designed to ease water shortages in western and southern IndiaIndia
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
while mitigating the impacts of recurrent floods in the eastern parts of the Ganga basin
Ganga basin
The Ganges basin is a part of the composite Ganges-Brahmaputra-Meghna basin draining 1,086,000 square kilometres in Tibet, Nepal, India and Bangladesh. To the north, the Himalaya or lower parallel ranges beyond form the Ganges-Brahmaputra divide. On the west the Ganges Basin borders the Indus...
. The NRLP, if and when implemented, will be one of the biggest interbasin water transfer projects in the world.
Ecological issues
Major concern being the argument that rivers change their course in 70–100 years and once they are linked, future change of course can create huge practical problems for the project.Aqua life
A number of leading environmentalistEnvironmentalist
An environmentalist broadly supports the goals of the environmental movement, "a political and ethical movement that seeks to improve and protect the quality of the natural environment through changes to environmentally harmful human activities"...
s are of the opinion that the project could be an ecological disaster. There would be a decrease in downstream flows resulting in reduction of fresh water
Fresh Water
Fresh Water is the debut album by Australian rock and blues singer Alison McCallum, released in 1972. Rare for an Australian artist at the time, it came in a gatefold sleeve...
inflows into the seas seriously jeopardizing aquatic life.
Deforestation
Creation of canals would need large areas of land resulting large scale deforestationDeforestation
Deforestation is the removal of a forest or stand of trees where the land is thereafter converted to a nonforest use. Examples of deforestation include conversion of forestland to farms, ranches, or urban use....
in certain area.
Areas getting submerged
Possibility of new dams comes with the threat of large new otherwise habitable or reserved land getting submerged under water.Displacement of people
As large strips of land might have to converted to canals, a considerable population living in this areas must need to be rehabilitated to new areas.External links
- http://nrlp.iwmi.org/main/maps.asp
- http://www.rediff.com/news/2004/apr/29guest.htm
- http://nrlp.iwmi.org/main/maps.asp
- http://www.the-south-asian.com/Aug2004/River-linking.htm