Navigating Water Wars: India's Interlink Rivers Challenge

The Indian government's interlinking of rivers (ILR) programme faces significant challenges due to states' apprehensions about water-sharing. Key projects, like the Ken-Betwa Link Project and Godavari-Cauvery link, aim to provide irrigation, drinking water, and energy but require inter-state agreements for successful implementation.

The Jal Shakti ministry has highlighted the arduous task of building consensus among states for the interlinking of rivers (ILR) programme, citing significant concerns over water-sharing as a primary obstacle.

In a statement to the Rajya Sabha, Minister of State for Jal Shakti, Raj Bhushan Choudhary emphasized the critical role of inter-state agreements in the success of ILR projects, noting the prioritization of five out of 30 identified link projects. Among them, the Ken-Betwa Link Project (KBLP) is actively underway, promising irrigation, drinking water, and energy solutions to Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh.

Additionally, the Parbati-Kalisindh-Chambal (PKC) link project and the Godavari-Cauvery link are poised to transform water distribution and resource management, contingent on overcoming inter-state hesitations and ratifying drafts like the Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) for collaborative execution.

(With inputs from agencies.)