WATER & ENERGY INTERNATIONAL: Water Resources Section - SOCIO-ECONOMIC AND ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS OF RIVER LINKING PROJECTS - THE REALITY

摘要

The Govt, of India is pursuing interlinking of rivers (ILR) as one of the long-term options for the optimum development of water resources in the country. On the other hand, the criticism on the ILR is also mounting in the media and on various fora. Such criticisms are often found wanting from the point of adequate knowledge on the project and the studies being carried out / planned by the Govt. One can not deny the fact that ILR is a time-tested concept and has to be an integral part of a comprehensive frame work for development of water resources to effectively deal with the future food and water challenges the country is bound to face. In this context, this paper attempts to discuss the socio-economic and environmental concerns of ILR and the steps being taken by the Govt, to address them through appropriate studies.