It is unfortunate that media reports provide half-baked opinions and ferret irresponsible reports out as news items which receive adverse reactions from scholars and researchers. One such recent report of July 27, 2015 in the Telegraph refers to River Sarasvati (appended).
Making the Vedic River Sarasvati flow again involves a river called Sharada. Let us start with getting the Himlayan, the nagadhiraja (Emperor of mountains -- a scintillating phrase used by the national poet Kalidasa in the first sloka of Kumarasambhava) geography right.![]()
Point No. 1. The Himalayan ranges stretch from Teheran, Iran to Hanoi, Vietnam. It is thus a measuring rod for the earth as a globe. अस्त्युत्तरस्याम् दिशि देवतात्मा हिमालयो नाम नगाधिराजः पूर्वापरौ तोयनिधि वगाह्य स्थित पर्थिव्या इव मान दण्डः Astyuttarsyam dizi devatAtmA Himalayo nAma nagAdhirAjah PoorvAparau toya nidhivagAhya sthita prithivya iva mAnadaNDah - Kalidasa (Invocatory sloka from Kumarasambhava: Trans. There in the northern direction is an emperor of mountains called Himalaya, carrier of water treasure, standing like a measuring rod for the globe).
A vital geological fact to note is that the Himalaya is dynamic, still growing taller by about 1 cm. every year as the Indian plate moves northwards at 6 cm per year and lifts up like varAha, the Eurasian plate, creating the Himalayan mountain ranges. This plate tectonic reality has enormous significance in the geological history of Himalayan rivers that traverse about 2500 kms. -- great perennial rivers such as Sutlej, Ganga, Sharada, Sarasvati, Brahmaputra, Irawaddy, Salween, Mekong, Yangtse, Huanghe -- all emanating from Mt. Kailas, Manasarovar glacier complex.
In Hindu tradition, Ganga-Yamuna-Sarasvati sangamam as Triveni (three river confluence) occurs every 12 years celebrated as Kumbhamela with the largest human gatherings of pilgrims anywhere on the globe. Such a tradiiton cannot be a myth. Ganga and Yamuna are real, why should Sarasvati alone be a myth?
Milam Glacier, the source of Sharada River (known as Goriganga in Nepal), is a major glacier of south facing slope of the Kumaon Himalaya. It is located in the tehsil of Munsiyari (lit. place with snow), part of the Pithoragarh district of Uttarakhand, ranges in elevation from about 5,500 metres (18,000 ft) to about 3,870 metres (12,700 ft) at its snout. Subsidiary glaciers coming off the peaks of Hardeol, Mangraon (6,568 m), Deo Damla (6,637 m) and, Sakram (6,254 m) on Nanda Devi sanctuary flow from the west into the Milam glacier. Glaciers from Nanda Gond (6,315 m) and Nanda Pal (6,306 m) flow into the Milam glacier from the east. This glacier is the source of the Goriganga River. Goriganga joins the Mahakali or Sharada River at Jauljibi.![Karnali river.JPG]()
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Lake Manasarovar. कर्णाली Karṇālī River, Nepal, known as घाघरा Ghāghrā river in India originates on Tibetan plateau near Manasarovar, glaciers of Mapchachungo, at an elevation of about 3,962 metres (12,999 ft) above sea level. It is the largest tributary of Ganga by volume of water.
Milam Glacier is a major glacier of south facing slope of the Kumaon Himalaya. It is located in the tehsil of Munsiyari (lit. place with snow), part of the Pithoragarh district of Uttarakhand, ranges in elevation from about 5,500 metres (18,000 ft) to about 3,870 metres (12,700 ft) at its snout. Subsidiary glaciers coming off the peaks of Hardeol, Mangraon (6,568 m), Deo Damla (6,637 m) and, Sakram (6,254 m) on Nanda Devi sanctuary flow from the west into the Milam glacier. Glaciers from Nanda Gond (6,315 m) and Nanda Pal (6,306 m) flow into the Milam glacier from the east. This glacier is the source of the Goriganga River. Goriganga joins the Mahakali or Sharada River at Jauljibi.Origin point of Sharada river: In Pithoragarh Dist. of Uttarakhand, ther is a pond called Kalapani, at an elevation of 3600 metres (11,800 ft.). Glaciers along the watershed of Humla Karnali source the river. The tributary rivers of Sharada River also called Mahakali or Sarayu (a tributary of Ghaghara) are: Dhauliganga (at Tawaghat), Gori Ganga (at Jauljibi), Chameliya (at Jhulaghat), Sarju (at Pancheshwar). Sharada River exits the hill region at Jogbudha valley, then receives tributaries: Ladhiya and Ramgun before entering the lower Siwalik ranges. A dam of Sharada reservoir at Tanakpur diverts the waters into an irrigation canal. The river enters the Terai plains after passing the towns of Banbasa and Mahendranagar (Bhim Datta) and enters Uttar Pradesh from Uttarakhand. Sharada River joins the Ghaghra (Karnali) River, 30 kms. NNW of Bahraich.
A barrage (built in 1920) on Sharada River near Tanakpur (Dist. Champawat) has a Hydroelectric project (120 MW) commissioned in April 1993. Pancheshwar multipurpose Dam will add another 5,600 MW of hydroelectric power. Karnali कर्णाली Karṇālī river (also called Ghaghra) joins Mahakali river at Brahmaghat (India) have hydropower potential of 36,180 MW (economically exploitable 25,000 MW) out of a total potential of 83,000 MW.
Canal irrigation of Sharada Sahayak Pariyojana completed in 2000, irrigates a cultivable area of 2m ha of lakhs of farmers in eastern Uttar Pradesh.Sharada River has a total catchment area of 17,818 km. upto Lower Sharada Barrage. Great heritage sites are: Kali temple (Kalapani), Shiva temple (Singhphal, Dudhwa reserve), Baleshwar and Nagnath temples (Champawat).
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sharda_RiverMaking Vedic River Sarasvati flow again involves the following four links of the Perspective Plan drawn up by Min. of Water Resources:
Ghaghara-Yamuna Link
Sarda-Yamuna Link
Yamuna-Rajasthan link
Rajasthan-Sabarmati link
These links are part of the Himalayan component of interlinking of rivers of India and will augment waterflows of Rajasthan Nahar with waters from River Sharada through an aqueduct which will make the Nahar flow beyond Gedra Road, Barmer Dist. Rajasthan and flow upto River Sabarmati in Gujarat.
Revival of Vedic River Sarasvati will occur with the interlinked waters of Sharada River (Hindi: शारदा नदी, shāradā nadī) or Mahakali River (Nepali: महाकाली नदी, mahākālī nadī) is also called Kali Gad (Hindi: काली गाड, kālī gāD) or Kali Ganga in Uttarakhand where the river demarcates Nepal's western border with India. This boundary was established by the 1816 Sugauli treaty.
The river has a gigantic descent from the Himalayan heights from 3600 metres to 200 metres as the river enters the Terai plains. The realizable potential for hydroelectriv power from this river alone is 10,884 MW.
The river enters Uttar Pradesh near Nepal-Uttarakhand border, flows southeast across the Terai plains to join the Ghagra river, a tributary of the Ganga.
1. Ghaghra-Yamuna link Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Nepal
Annual Irrigation: 25.30 + 1.35 (Nepal) =26.65 lakh ha.
Domestic and industrial supply: 1391 MCM. Hydropower: 10884 MW
Status: FR completed (for Indian portion)
2. Sarda-Yamuna link Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand & Nepal
Annual Irrigation: 3.45 + 0.30 = 3.75 lakh ha.
Domestic and industrial supply: 6250 MCM
Hydropower: 3600 MW
Status: FR completed (for Indian portion)
3. Yamuna-Rajasthan link Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Haryana & Rajasthan
Annual Irrigation: 0.435 + 2.442 = 2.877 lakh ha.
Domestic and industrial supply: 57 MCM
Status: Draft FR completed
4. Rajasthan-Sabarmati link Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Haryana, Rajasthan
Annual Irrigation: 5.35 + 2.04= 7.39 lakh ha.
Domestic and industrial supply: 282 MCM
Status: Draft FR completed
NWDA has completed the pre-feasibility studies of fourteen links in
the Himalayan component.They are namely:
§ Manas-Sankosh-Tista - Ganga link
§ Jogighopa-Tista-Farakka link
§ Ganga-Damodar-Subernarekha link
§ Subernarekha-Mahanadi link
§ Farakka-Sunderbans link
§ Gandak-Ganga link
§ Ghaghara -Yamuna link
§ Sarda-Yamuna link
§ Yamuna-Rajasthan link
§ Rajasthan-Sabarmati link
§ Chunar- Sone Barrage link
§ Sone dam-Southern tributaries of Ganga link
§ Kosi- Ghaghara link
§ Kosi-Mechi link
Out of above 14 links Feasibility Studies of following two links
(Indian Portion) are completed :
Out of total 14 links identified in National Perspective Plan, Feasibility Reports
of 2 Nos. have been completed namely Sarda -Yamuna by March 2003
and Ghagra-Yamuna by March, 2004. 7 Draft Feasibility Reports of following
links have been also completed by March, 2009.
ii) Farakka-Sunderbans link
iii) Ganga(Farakka)-Damodar-Subernarekha link
iv) Subernarekha-Mahanadi link
v) Chunar-Sone Barrage link
vi) Rajasthan-Sabarmati link
Work of S&I of Kosi-Ghaghara link have been completed by March 2013.
The surveys and investigations of the following links remained under progress:
(i) Manas – Sankosh – Tista - Ganga Link,
(ii) Sone dam –STG (Southern Tributaries of Ganga) Link .
Remaining two links presently not in target as Kosi-Mechi link lies entirely in
Nepal and Jogighopa-Teesta-Farrakka link is an alternate of M-S-T-G link.
Resurrecting the Saraswati
The Haryana government is excavating a channel and developing a creek, part of an effort at reviving the Saraswati river mentioned in the Rig Veda. But the project has triggered controversy, writes T.V. Jayan
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A river is born: (From top) The excavated Saraswati creek in Mughalwali village in Yamuna Nagar district, Haryana; the course of the river marked in blue in the revival plan; Adi Badri, the point from where the Saraswati is said to have originated
The canal - 10 or 12 kilometres long - snakes its way through lush green fields. Seasonal rains have brought work to a temporary halt. But when the labourers get back to it after the monsoon season, a river called Saraswati will take shape.
Or so they say.
In Haryana, where the digging is taking place, there is a sense of excitement. In other circles, where the river - its existence, its location and the campaign for its revival - has been hotly debated for years, there is scepticism.
For the proponents of the river, the canal is a part of the Saraswati river mentioned in the Rig Veda and other Hindu scriptures. And for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), in power in Haryana and at the Centre, the time has come to resurrect it.
In April, the Haryana government sanctioned Rs 50 crore for the project. The government has promised to pump in more money as the work progresses. The excavation - at present in Bhita village in Haryana's Bilaspur block - is being carried out under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme.
The project entails the excavation of an identified paleo channel some 50 kilometres long and developing a creek so that water can flow smoothly through it.
"Over the years, it can become a river of reasonable size," says octogenarian Darshan Lal Jain, an industrialist and president of the Saraswati Nadi Shodh Sansthan, a body that has been steadfastly campaigning for the revival of the lost river. Jain was recently appointed to a multi-disciplinary committee constituted by the Union ministry of culture for the Saraswati Heritage Project.
How does one revive a stream? This, government officials say, will be done by diverting water from other rivers. To ensure water flow in the channel during non-monsoon months, the authorities plan to construct reservoirs by diverting water from two nearby rivers - Somb, a tributary of the river Yamuna, and Chautang.
The river revival has for long been a favourite project of BJP governments. When the Atal Behari Vajpayee-led National Democratic Alliance came to power, the place from where the stream supposedly originates - Adi Badri, on the foothills of the Shivalik - was secured as the Saraswati Nadi Udgam Sthal and a pond was constructed nearby to collect water.
For the pro-Saraswati lobby, the revived stream will have many benefits. The administration says it will attract tourists - religious as well as recreational - helping the state to make money. To top it, it will also help the farmers of the state, it says.
"To me the project is much more than religious," says Gagandeep Singh, a 2002 batch officer of the Haryana civil services, who, as district development and panchayat officer in Haryana's Yamuna Nagar district, is overseeing the project to revive the river.
"Every year farmers in the district lose crop over a vast stretch of cultivated area because of floods in the Somb. If we can divert the waters, as much 10,000 acres of land can be reclaimed," he says.
Singh believes the project will also help recharge groundwater in many parts of the district, where levels have plummeted perilously because of overexploitation.
But will it? Or will the project be yet another white elephant?
Critics of the project believe that it is a "fake Saraswati" river which the state and the central government seek to revive on the basis of evidence not scientifically validated.
They also hold that the revival of the river is just an attempt to "equate" the Harappan civilisation, which is believed to have predated the Vedic period, with the Vedic civilisation. It would second the belief of Hindutva ideologists that Aryans were from India.
"Equating the civilisations will help in the propagation of the belief that Indo-Europeans didn't come to India in the 2nd millennium BC, as is widely believed, but went out to other geographical regions from here," says a scientist at a national institute, who doesn't want to be named.
Mayank Vahia, who is at the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, calls for more research into the Indus and Saraswati Valley civilisations. "More rigorous studies will settle many of these controversies scientifically," he says.
Of course, the controversy over whether the Saraswati existed - or is mythical - continues. Old topographical records mention a river called Saraswati which merges with the Ghaggar, a seasonal river that flows in the plains of Haryana and Punjab, and which is known as Hakra in Pakistan.
"The location of the Ghaggar does match the location of river Saraswati mentioned in the Rig Veda. However, some of the more evocative descriptions in the Rig Veda don't match with the Ghaggar, as it is not a high Himalayan glacial river but a Shivalik river," says Suvrat Kher, a geologist and writer-blogger.
Even among scientists, there is a rift. Geologist Khadg Singh Valdiya, considered an authority on the Himalayas and an emeritus professor at the Bangalore-based Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research, thinks that there is "enough geological and sedimentary evidence to show that the Saraswati (the Ghaggar) was a big river" in the past.
"And there is proof to establish its glacial origins too," Valdiya says.
Archaeologists have discovered ancient settlements along the banks of the Ghaggar and nearby places. "More than a thousand settlements excavated in the recent past are from the Ghaggar river basin," says Ravindra Singh Bisht, former joint director-general of the Archaeological Survey of India.
But beyond this argument, there are other issues as well. There is, for one, concern over diverting river waters to revive a channel. Under fire is a plan proposed by the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Limited under its corporate social responsibility programme. The public sector giant plans to explore the possibility of drilling the so-called underground channels of the lost river and drawing water.
"If the authorities are planning to use borewells to supply water to the dry bed, it would be the height of absurdity and guaranteed failure," warns Michel Danino, visiting professor at the Indian Institute of Technology, Gandhinagar, and author of the book The Lost River: On the trail of Sarasvati.
Reviving a river, he adds, is desirable, especially because rivers have turned seasonal or disappeared in the last few decades. "But the question is whether it can realistically be done in the case of the Saraswati," says Danino, a member of the Indian Council of Historical Research.
The only way to revive the Saraswati in its upper basin is through the massive reforestation of the Shivalik Hills, which will help retain rainwater, and large-scale rainwater harvesting in the plains through thousands of ponds and small checkdams. Short of this, it will be a waste of public funds, he says.
What about the ecological implications of diverting river waters? In this case, says Himanshu Thakkar, co-ordinator of the South Asia Network of Dams, Rivers and People, there may not be an ecological imbalance as the rivers belong to the same basin.
"But the real question is: why do we need to do it, even if it is for religious purposes? Rivers are worshipped all over India. And there is a crying need for conserving and protecting most of them," Thakkar says. "Instead of focusing attention and resources on them, efforts are on to revive a river which disappeared thousands of years ago for unknown hydrogeological reasons."
But whether the river - if and when revived - would be the lost Saraswati is under dispute, too. "How is it different from a canal which is being built for irrigation? By naming it Saraswati, people with vested interests are actually attempting to befool the people," says a scientist.
http://www.telegraphindia.com/1150726/jsp/7days/story_33643.jspGeologist finds merit in Yamunanagar admn’s ‘Saraswati found’ claim
- Vishal Joshi, Yamunanagar
| - Updated: May 07, 2015 15:29 IST
The claims of the district authorities on the chance discovery of water from the now inactive Saraswati River got a boost on Wednesday after a geologist termed it as a remnant of an inactive river or stream channel, on the modern identified river route (technically referred to as paleo channel).
On Tuesday, during digging water current from nine spots was found near Muglawali village in the district.
On the basis of assumption and popular belief, the local administration had claimed it to be Saraswati river water.
After a field study of various spots near Adi Badri in the district on Wednesday, chairperson of the department of geology, Kurukshetra University, AR Chaudhri, said that presence of sweet water at the shallow surface was an interesting phenomenon.
“Contrary to initial assumptions, the water found at various spots firmly hints at the presence of a paleo channel. Initial study of water and sediments at these sites hints them being distinct from the locally available water and minerals,” Chaudhri told HT, adding that the paleo channel could be one of the streams of a major river flowing in the region in the ancient times. Chaudhri has taken sedimentary samples from the spot for further analysis.
He said the land revenue records prepared during British-era demarcates river course of the Saraswati and digging was being done on the same route.
“More digging on the identified old river course could lead to similar experiences of water at very low depth,” he said.
Following the CM’s decision to revive a project of creating a new water channel on the dry bed considered to be natural path of ancient river, the excavation work of ‘Saraswati Revival Project’ was started at Rullaheri village on April 21.
It is being dug under Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MNGEGS).
“It has also been confirmed that no other source of water crosses below the sites from where sweet water has come out. It indicates that an old water channel or river used to flow from here,” he said.
The geologist clarified that it was believed that Saraswati used to flow from upper Himalayas and enters the plains near Adi Badri, located in the foothills of lower Shivalik mountain ranges.
Chaudhri, who had worked with the Oil and Natural Gas Commission (ONGC) in 2006 to explore water possibility along ancient Saraswati river course, said that now there was no need for exploration for deeper aquifers.
“Under Project Saraswati, the ONGC in 2006 had successfully drilled India’s deepest fresh-water well at a depth of about 500 metre below the ground-level near Jaisalmer in Rajasthan. Geologists had claimed that explorations could be started for similar possibilities in Haryana, which is facing a severe problem due to the excessive utilisation of underground water.”
See:
Posted at: May 17 2015 12:59AM![The Tribune]()
HERITAGE
Naveen S. Garewal & Shiv K. Sharma May 17, 2015 Unearthing the Saraswati mystery
Work is on in Yamunanagar to dig up what’s being claimed is the ancient Saraswati. Denying any nationalistic agenda, Haryana’s BJP government says its faith in the project to revive the ‘lost river’ is backed by science. The myth, it adds, is now a reality. In the minds yes, but the mystery remains. The truth is still out there.
Rigveda, the oldest of the four ancient Hindu texts, mentions the “mighty” Saraswati 45 times. When NDA’s former Culture minister Jagmohan ordered excavation in Haryana to trace the course of this mythical “lost river” in 2002, he faced criticism of pushing the Sangh Parivar’s agenda of equating the supposed pre-Vedic Harappan era with Hindus in the garb of promoting religious tourism. A related charge was of trying to establish the indigenousness of Hinduism while discounting the Aryan invasion theory, and making it appear as a continuing 5,000-year-old civilisation centered around the Saraswati.
Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar, who’s sanctioned Rs 50 crore for the river revival project, says after completion of the excavation work, there would be a flowing Saraswati.
Adi Badri, where it is believed the Saraswati river emerges from the Himalayan glaciers.
Haryana claims the water that surfaced at Mughalwali is of Saraswati river. Is it?
‘Saraswati course’ and Haryana’s excavation plan
Denying giving Saraswati a civilisational virtue or aiming to revive Brahmanism and the sanctity of Vedas, he said it was not important whether the river was found or not. “However,” he pointed out, “in the course of the research, a certain consciousness will find its way into the minds of the people... that it was not a mythological desert river.”
That consciousness seems to have seeped in. The Saraswati river as a reality has still not won the day, but it being a myth is losing ground as the earth is being dug up since April 21. At Rohlaheri village in Yamunanagar, fresh water has been found not far below at 7 feet, bringing a flood of outsiders and locals to the excavation site. Such is the rush that a community kitchen (bhandara) has been set up in the vicinity. Some are simply inquisitive, but there is a sprinkling of those who want to immerse themselves in the “holy goddess”. The Ramayana, Mahabharata, Brahmanas and Puranas all talk of Saraswati, some even calling it Brahma’s sacred daughter Ikshumati — the greatest of mothers, greatest of rivers and greatest of goddesses.
Locals say a number of seasonal rivulets in the area are dotted with small temples, alluding to the notion that the river has always existed — in their minds, at least. It was March this year that Haryana’s BJP government announced excavation of the Saraswati river from Adi Badri, the point from where it is said to have originated. The digging is to be spread over 43 villages of Yamunanagar district starting from Rohlaheri (Bilaspur tehsil) to Uncha Chandna (Mustafabad sub-tehsil), a distance of 50 km.
The government says the “revival of the ancient river” will take a couple of years, but to begin with, a 7-km water channel will be dug up. This, it claims, will act as a link for a dam and reservoir to be built subsequently over 1,000 acres. What will become of such plans is best left to the travails of time. Can an extinct river be revived by bringing underground water to the surface?
The work is being executed under the rural job guarantee scheme and around 400 families have been entrusted with the task. Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar has announced Rs 50 crore for the project, though the administration is yet to receive this money.
The Development and Panchayats Department says it has conducted the demarcation by using satellite imagery. Another claim is that advanced technology resulted in the discovery of water “from Saraswati” at Mughalwali village. Water gushing out is no myth, 2,500-3,000 people paying a visit daily and some taking the “holy water” too is a fact. But is this the fabled Saraswati, or just a seasonal channel?
Marwa Khurd village resident Sohan Lal, 70, can’t understand what the confusion is. “I have seen Saraswati flowing near Bilaspur (in the area of Kakroni village) for many years. The goddess has always existed,” he says, referring to one of the many seasonal rivulets. The myth is a reality in his case. No confusion. “Saraswati is our cultural heritage and we are working on the path shown by satellite images. Water being found from the site has proved its past. The excavation is going on and after completion of the work, there would be a flowing Saraswati,” says a confident Khattar.
Former Congress state secretary Satpal Kaushik exercises caution. “I am not questioning the existence of Saraswati in Yamunanagar. But, it is a fact that the water that came out in Mughalwali is not that of the Saraswati. It may be ground water,” he says, adding that the excavation will create a new problem for farmers as it will divide the land.
District Development and Panchayat Officer (DDPO) Gagandeep Singh has a bigger picture in mind. He says the Saraswati revival project has multi-dimensional aspects such as water conservation, water harvesting, ground water recharging, flood protection, improvement in ecological balance, flourishing of flora and fauna and development of eco-tourism, recreation tourism and pilgrim tourism. Is this long list for real?
Going back and forth
Hindu mythology refers to Saraswati as the goddess of wisdom and knowledge, manifesting itself in the form of a river. “Ganga, Jamuna, Saraswati” find a common mention in many theological and cultural contexts. The Rig Veda refers to Saraswati as the mighty river flowing from the high mountains to the sea. In fact, the Vedas lay more importance to Saraswati than Ganga.
French scholar Michel Danino in his book The Lost River: On the Trail of Sarasvati suggests that Saraswati was no mythological river. He says there is strong evidence to suggest that the Saraswati of yesterday could be the Ghaggar of today.
A major proponent of making the Indus civilisation and the Rigveda compatible has been BB Lal, former Director-General of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI). He claims that the Rig Vedic Saraswati and the present-day Saraswati-Ghaggar combine, which flows through Haryana and Punjab and dries up near Sirsa, are the same. His theory thus refutes the Aryan invasion theory.
Indus and Saraswati, Danino writes in his book, were the lifeline of the Indus Valley and Harappan civilisation (between 3,500 and 1,900 BC). Ancient Sanskrit texts as well as maps plotted by the British some 200 years ago indicate that Saraswati was the Ghajjar-Hakra river (Ghaggar in India and Hakra in Pakistan) that passes through Haryana.
Archaeologist Marc Aurel Stein recorded in 1880s that the easternmost tributary of Ghaggar was still known as Sarsuti at that time, which he said was a corruption of the name over a period of time. Richard Dixon Oldham, an officer of the Geological Survey of India, suggested around the same time that geological changes and tectonic movement were responsible for the Saraswati changing course and finally drying up. He suggested that Sutlej and Yamuna were tributaries of Ghaggar-Hakra. Geological changes diverted Sutlej towards the Indus and Yamuna towards the Ganga. As a result, Saraswati did not have enough water to reach the Arabian Sea and it dried up in the Thar Desert that extends from Rajasthan into some portions of Haryana, Punjab and the Rann of Kutch in Gujarat.
What science offers, and the critique
Research conducted by various institutions, including the Indian Space and Research Organisation (ISRO), has suggested the course of the Saraswati. Satellite images have unearthed the hidden course of what could be the Saraswati river below the sands of Thar Desert in Rajasthan. As per an ISRO report, the mapped course of the river is 4-10 km wide, passing through Haryana, Punjab, Rajasthan and Gujarat, confirming the findings of Oldham.
Geological studies carried out to ascertain the existence of a palaeo-channel — remnant of an inactive river or stream channel that has been either filled or buried by younger sediment — in the north-western alluvial plains by the Department of Geology, Kurukshetra University, highlight the presence of a river system in the area demarcated for excavation.
Prof Dr AR Chaudhri, chairman, KU’s Department of Geology, says studies have indicated that Saraswati boosted the development of Vedic civilisation. “The sedimentological characteristics of the alluvium in Kalayat and palaeo-riverbed near Kurukshetra point to the presence of a trans-Himalayan river system. The channel, which is being excavated in Bilaspur area of Yamunanagar district, is along the palaeo-path of the erstwhile river which has been identified as per the official revenue record of British era,” he says.
Saraswati, it is believed, got lost due to tectonic movement. “Satellite images obtained from ISRO prove palaeo-channels of the lost river still exist below the ground,” says Darshan Lal Jain, president, Saraswati Nadi Shodh Sansthan, who’s been advocating the revival of the Saraswati since 1999.
Those claiming that Saraswati is no more a myth cite research in the fields of archaeology, geology, hydrology, glaciology, remote sensing and ground water technology. Even revenue records with entries that mention the Saraswati are given as evidence.
In revenue records, Saraswati travels from Adi Badri of Yamunanagar district to Pehowa in Kurukshetra district. Along this site are several historical temples. One such place believed to be the dry basin of Saraswati is where Lord Krishna is said to have delivered preachings of the Gita. It is believed that the battle of Mahabharata was also fought on the dry bed of Saraswati river.
There is a folklore associated with this site. Wherever the river flows, there are shamshan ghats (cremation grounds) on the embankment. The locals do not go to Haridwar for immersion of ashes in the Ganga. They treat Saraswati as an equally holy river and immerse the ashes in the open fields, believing that the river flows there. “When we were young, the water (believed to be of Saraswati) flowed in our village. After the cremation, the villagers would immerse the ashes in the water of the river,” claims Ram Narain of Rohlaheri village.
However, there are historians who say the Saraswati might not have been a mighty perennial river. They say remote-sensing and satellite imagery of palaeo (past) channels begin in the north, move towards Rajasthan and then get lost. There is hardly any proof, they claim, of these images being that of the Saraswati. They also point out how remote-sensing does not reveal the antiquity of the images, is not capable of dating and is ineffective on moist soil.
Looking back, ahead
GN Srivastva, Superintending Archaeologist, Chandigarh circle, has collected samples of pebbles and earthen pottery from Mughalwali. “The earthenware is of the Rajputana period from the eighth to the 12th century. The Saraswati river passage found in Yamunanagar and Kurukshetra has links to Prachi-Saraswati of Pehowa (Kurukshetra),” he says. “The Prachi-Saraswati river is mentioned in the stone inscription of the time of King Bhoj of Pratihar dynasty, ruling in the 9th century AD.”
A report of the Central Ground Water Board for Yamunanagar prepared in 2007 says the three blocks of Bilaspur, Mustafabad and Radaur have moved in the category of dark zone due to over-exploitation of underground water and mismanagement of ground water. The report recommends construction of a reservoir in the Kandi belt to enhance ground water and underground water quality and quantity.
Several agencies are involved in the Saraswati project and the Haryana government has hired the Water and Power Consultancy Services (India) Limited (WAPCOS) to prepare a detailed project report for revival of the river. Other agencies to be involved include the United Nations Development Programme, NABARD and Asian Development Bank.
Director (Exploration), Oil and Natural Gas Corporation, Dr NK Verma, has also helped in narrowing down the location for drilling of deep borewells for tapping of the Saraswati river palaeo-channels. The ONGC has committed to carry out drilling of deep borewells in the “Saraswati river course”.
Deputy Commissioner Dr SS Phulia says the “ONGC has identified three points in Yamunanagar district and one each in Kurukshetra, Kaithal and Fatehabad districts to install tubewells in the Saraswati river course”.
So, it is the fabled Saraswati? It is not a no. It’s not a convincing yes either.
COUNTING THE GAINS OF RIVER REVIVAL PROJECT
- Yamunanagar Deputy Commissioner Dr SS Phulia claims the excavation will help in preventing flooding in the area. He says crores are spent on flood protection works on the Somb river every year.
- The project, he says, will help in reclaiming thousands of acres of land that is rendered unusable during monsoons. The administration has associated the revival of Saraswati with construction of a dam, artificial reservoir and channelising untamed drains during monsoons, he adds.
- The reservoir to harness rainwater is expected to be more than double the size of Sukhna Lake at Chandigarh.
- A recreational water park, botanical garden and zoo will also be constructed. The Chief Minister has announced an express highway along the Saraswati Revival Project which will start from Kalka (Panchkula) and run up to Kalesar (Yamunanagar).
- A temple of Goddess Saraswati is proposed on the embankment of the reservoir. A historical gurdwara (Rampur Kamboyan) already exists. But the work regarding the construction of the dam and the reservoir will start only after project reports. The project is expected to be executed in two years.
LOTS TO SAY ABOUT THE RIVER
- Rigveda calls Saraswati the seventh river of the Sindhu-Saraswati river system, hence the name Saptsindhu for the region bound by rivers: Saraswati in east, Sindhu (Indus) in west.
- Ancient texts say the Saraswati springs from Himalayan glaciers in Har-ki-dun in Uttarakhand and emerges at Adi Badri, 30 km north of Jagadhri (Haryana), through the foothills of Shivalik ranges. About 5,000 years ago, it traversed 1,600 km, through Himachal, Haryana, Punjab, Rajasthan and Gujarat.
- Around 3,500 years ago, tectonic changes caused river migration and its desiccation.
- Modern quest for the Saraswati began in the 1970s when American satellite images showed traces of water channels in northern and western India that had disappeared long ago.
- The finding of Saraswati river disproves the Aryan invasion theory, which states that Aryans who originally lived in central Asia migrated to India in around 1,500 BC attacking the local Dravidians and moving them south.
- Saraswati Heritage Project was started in 2002 by NDA. It was dropped by the UPA after a parliamentary panel termed it an unscientific quest.
- CPM’s Sitaram Yechury, former panel head, said the project’s justification was mythological, not archaeological.
- Some believe monsoon-fed Ghaggar-Hakra river, which flows through northwest India before entering Pakistan, is a remnant of the Saraswati.
Centre to set up institute for Saraswati river research
It is believed that the river — mentioned in Rigveda some 10,000 years ago — originated at Adibadri in Yamunanagar.
Written by Divya A | New Delhi | Published:June 30, 2015 1:49 am - ![saraswati river, saraswati river research, saraswati river research institute, saraswati, vedas, india news]()
The Saraswati riverThe Centre has announced a research institute and a museum in Haryana to carry out studies pertaining to the mythical Saraswati river, which finds mention in the vedas.
A decision in this regard was taken Sunday during a meeting between Union Culture and Tourism Minister Mahesh Sharma and Haryana CM Manohar Lal Khattar.
The institute will come up at Mugalwali village in Yamunanagar, as part of the Krishna Circuit, for which Rs 20 crore would be allocated through Tourism Ministry’s Pilgrimage Rejuvenation and Spirituality Augmentation Drive scheme. As for the museum, which is also likely to come up in Yamunanagar, finer details are being worked out, a ministry official said.
It is believed that the river — mentioned in Rigveda some 10,000 years ago — originated at Adibadri in Yamunanagar.
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Seeking Saraswati
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An image of the Allahabad fort.Over the past 30-35 years, using aerial and satellite remote sensing data, palaeochannels (remnants of an inactive river or stream) have been systematically mapped to discover the course of Saraswati — a river that, as per Vedic texts, once joined the Ganga and Yamuna at the Sangam in Allahabad.
The agencies working on this include the Central Arid Zone Research Institute (CAZRI) in Jodhpur, Geological Survey of India (GSI) in Jaipur, Space Application Centre in Ahmedabad, Regional Remote Sensing Centre in Jodhpur, Rajasthan Groundwater Board, Central Ground Water Board and ONGC. Last year, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) carried out a project to plot the course of the Saraswati using satellite data.
Saraswati is believed to have had three tributaries: Sutlej arising from Mount Kailash, Drishadvati from Shivalik Hills and the old Yamuna. Together, they flowed along a channel, presently identified as that of the Ghaggar river, also called Hakra river in Rajasthan and Nara in the Sindh region in Pakistan.
Union Water Resources Minister Uma Bharti has said that there is considerable evidence to ascertain the course of the river and the government will try to “trace the route”. Bharti has also instructed officials of the Central Groundwater Board to test water samples from a well inside the Allahabad Fort, a 16th-century building located close to the confluence of the Ganga and Yamuna in the city. As per local lore, the Saraswati flows beneath the deep well, known as ‘Saraswati Koop’. “Ample scientific evidence from remote sensing to archaeological excavations reveals beyond doubt that Vedic Saraswati river was flowing in northwestern India, sub-parallel to the Indus River around 6000 BC. It became a seasonal trickle around 3000 BC due to climatic and tectonic changes in the Himalayan region,” says Dr J R Sharma, chief general manager, ISRO, and Dr B K Bhadra, senior scientist at ISRO, who have both worked extensively on the project for decades.
In a study initiated in the 1990s, it was concluded that Saraswati originated from Bandarpunch, or Har-ki-dun, a glacier in the Garhwal Himalayas and finally discharged into the Gulf of Khambat on the Gujarat coast.
Today, the Saraswati is represented by the Ghaggar river that flows on its palaeochannel in Haryana, according to ISRO. Around 14 wells were dug near it there, and when the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre carbondated the water, they found it was 8,000-14,000 years old.
More than 100 years ago, British engineer C F Oldham reached the same conclusion and believed the Ghaggar river occupied the bed of a much bigger river, possibly the Saraswati.
Rajesh Purohit, Director of Allahabad Museum, says these are all hypotheses and that to establish the existence of the river, “more exhaustive research on the ground will be required”.
Purohit, an archaeologist, has attempted to trace the existence of Saraswati for nearly 20 years. At Bhoresaida, a few kilometres from Kurukshetra, he found a dried-up river bed in 2006, nearly 80 feet below ground.
Purohit believes in a phenomenon known as “river capturing”, where a larger river takes over a smaller one, changing its course and size. “Yamuna, in Vedic etymology, itself signifies the phenomenon of ‘river capturing’. It is possible that some part of Saraswati was captured by Yamuna and brought east, while the remaining was taken over by Sutlej — the river on the western side of Saraswati’s bed,” he says.
The route mapped out so far, validated through collateral data such as geomorphic anomalies, drilling data of tubewells, age of ground water, archaeological data and old maps, shows the river originated in Kailash Mansarovar and emerged on the plains from the foothills of the Himalayas in Himachal Pradesh. It then flowed through the Ghaggar valley in Haryana and the Thar desert, on to Hakra in the Cholistan desert (Sindh, Pakistan), before reaching the Rann of Kutch through the Nara Valley and emptying into the Arabian Sea.
Many references exist about the Saraswati river meeting the Arabian Sea along the existing Kori Creek. Recent investigations have revealed that more than one river helped build up the deltaic deposits in the Rann.
It has also been observed that many prosperous towns of Harappan culture (3000-1500 BC) existed along banks of what may have been the Saraswati. “The Rig Veda mentions seven rivers which flowed from the Himalayas towards the Arabian Sea. While Indus was the westernmost, Saraswati was the easternmost. In fact, at places it flowed parallel to the Yamuna, providing a region fed by two rivers, which allows for the possibility of a rich civilisation,” says Purohit.
Professor S Ojha, a geography professor at Allahabad University, puts forward a similar theory. “Locally, the confluence point of the Ganga and Yamuna has been shifting. In fact, if you take a map of Allahabad and join the bandhs (embankments), they will virtually form a straight line ending up at Saraswati Ghat on the Yamuna, towards the west of the Allahabad Fort,” he says.
“After all, why would a ghat on Yamuna be called Saraswati Ghat?” asks Purohit.
He adds that he is unsure whether testing water from Saraswati Koop would be enough to establish the presence of the river. “Testing the water can only tell you how old it is. But how will you establish that water is from the Saraswati?” he says. However, he adds, the “idea is still worth pursuing”.
Work on 'Saraswati Revival Project' launched
Press Trust of India | Chandigarh April 21, 2015 Last Updated at 22:07 IST
Haryana assembly Speaker Kanwar Pal today inaugurated the excavation work on the Rs 50-crore 'Saraswati Revival Project' at Rolaheri village in Yamunanagar district.
Speaking on the occasion, Kanwar Pal said that the project would take the culture and heritage of India to the golden period.
Our great saints had scripted valuable Vedas and scriptures by the shores of the Saraswati River, he said.
It is said that river Saraswati flows through 41 villages of Yamunanagar district. It originates from Adi Badri and its water falls in Somb river.
It has been proposed that a check dam would be constructed on Somb river to store rain-water and divert it to Saraswati.
It has also been proposed that a reservoir would be constructed in the village of Chhallour over an area of 400 acres.
The technical survey of the dam and reservoir is being conducted by the Irrigation Department.
He said that in the first phase, the Saraswati river would be excavated in eight villages from Rola Heri to Sandhai.
This integrated project would cover several aspects such as flood protection, promotion of eco-tourism and pilgrimage tourism, water conservation, improving ecological balance among various other things.
A primary survey was conducted by the district development and Panchayat's officer, Yamunanagar, under the guidance of the Deputy Commissioner, of the district.
Accordingly, various departments such as Irrigation, Revenue, Marketing Board, PWD and Forest have been asked to finalise the survey for the completion of the project.
Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar has already announced Rs 50 crore for the project.
The initial excavation work is to be taken up under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme.
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At the time of independence the country had a population of about 400 million and faced severe food crisis. At that time the irrigation potential of the country was only about 20 Mha. After independence massive programme of irrigation was launched for development and utilization of both surface and ground water resources. This resulted in green revolution, which helped to transform the country from the state of food scarcity to food self-sufficiency. Due to these massive efforts, by the year 1979 the irrigation potential of the country could increase to 57 Mha with the use of high yielding varieties possible under irrigation and with increased use of fertilizers. The food production of the country could be increased to about 125 to 130 million tones by the same time. However, rate of increase in food production could just managed to equal the rate of population growth. The water is main input to the agriculture and also an important element for the life of human kind, its optimal utilization is necessary. With a view to harness the water resources of the country optimally, Dr. K.L. Rao, the then irrigation Minister, in the year 1972 had mooted the idea of interlinking of rivers by connecting the Ganga with the Cauvery river. Subsequently, in 1977 Capt. Dastur initiated the concept of a “Garland Canal” around the Himalayan, Central and Peninsular India. The proposals although received very good response from all sectors of communities, but not found techno-economical feasible for implementation.
The continued interest shown by many people engaged in Water Resources Development gave further impetus to study inter basin water transfer proposals in more details. The then Ministry of Irrigation (now Ministry of Water Resources) and Central Water Commission formulated a National Perspective Plan (NPP) for Water Resources Development in 1980, envisaging interbasin transfer of water from surplus basins to deficit ones with a view to minimize the regional imbalances and optimally utilize the available water resources.
National Perspective Plan comprises of two components viz. Himalayan Rivers Development and Peninsular Rivers Development.
Himalayan Rivers Development: Himalayan Rivers Development Component envisages construction of storage reservoirs on the principal tributaries of Ganga and Brahmaputra rivers in India, Nepal and Bhutan along with interlinking of river systems to transfer surplus flows of the eastern tributaries of the river Ganga to the west, apart from linking of the main Brahmaputra and its tributaries with Ganga and Ganga with the river Mahanadi. Peninsular Rivers Development:
1. Interlinking of Mahanadi-Godavari-Krishna-Cauvery rivers and building storages at potential sites in these basins.
This part involves interlinking of the major river systems where surpluses from the Mahanadi and the Godavari are intended to be transferred to the needy areas in the south, through Krishna and Cauvery rivers.
2. Interlinking of west flowing rivers, north of Bombay and south
of Tapi.
This scheme envisages construction of as many optimal storages as possible on these streams and interlinking them to make available appreciable quantum of water for transfer to areas where additional water is needed. The scheme provides for taking water supply canal to the metropolitan areas of Mumbai; it also provides irrigation in the coastal areas in Maharashtra
3. Interlinking of Ken-Chambal
The scheme provides for a water grid for Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh and interlinking canal backed by as many storages as possible.
4. Diversion of other west flowing rivers
The high rainfall on the western side of the Western Ghats runs down into numerous streams which discharge into the Arabian Sea. The construction of an interlinking canal system backed up by adequate storages could be planned to meet all requirements of Kerala as also for transfer of some waters towards east to meet the needs of drought affected areas.
In the proposals of NPP, the transfer of water has been proposed mostly by gravity, lifts were kept minimal and confined to around 120 m and only surplus flood water after meeting all in-basin requirement in foreseeable future has been planned for transfer to water deficit areas.
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The rainfall over the country is primarily orographic, associated with tropical depressions originating in the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal. The summer monsoon accounts for more than 85 per cent of the precipitation. The uncertainty of occurrence of rainfall marked by prolonged dry spells and fluctuations in seasonal and annual rainfall is a serious problem for the country. Large parts of Haryana, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu are not only in deficit in rainfall but also subject to large variations, resulting in frequent droughts and causing immense hardship to the population and enormous loss to the nation. The water availability even for drinking purposes becomes critical, particularly in the summer months as the rivers dry up and the ground water recedes. Regional variations in the rainfall lead to situations when some parts of the country do not have enough water even for raising a single crop. On the other hand excess rainfall occurring in some parts of the country create havoc due to floods.
Irrigation using river water and ground water has been the prime factor for raising the food grain production in our country from a mere 50 million tonnes in the 1950s to more than 200 million tonnes at present, leading us to attain self sufficiency in food. Irrigated area has increased from 22 million hectares to 95 million hectares during this period. The population of India, which is around 1000 million at present, is expected to increase to 1500 to 1800 million in the year 2050 and that would require about 450 million tonnes of food grains. For meeting this requirement, it would be necessary to increase irrigation potential to 160 million hectares for all crops by 2050. India's maximum irrigation potential that could be created through conventional sources has been assessed to be about 140 million hectares. For attaining a potential of 160 million hectares, other strategies shall have to be evolved.
Floods are a recurring feature, particularly in Brahmaputra and Ganga rivers, in which almost 60 per cent of the river flows of our country occur. Flood damages, which were Rs. 52 crores in 1953, have gone up to Rs. 5,846 crores in 1998 with annual average being Rs. 1,343 crores affecting the States of Assam, Bihar, West Bengal and Uttar Pradesh alongwith untold human sufferings. On the other hand, large areas in the States of Rajasthan, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu face recurring droughts. As much as 85 percentage of drought prone area falls in these States.
One of the most effective ways to increase the irrigation potential for increasing the food grain production, mitigate floods and droughts and reduce regional imbalance in the availability of water is the Inter Basin Water Transfer (IBWT) from the surplus rivers to deficit areas. Brahmaputra and Ganga particularly their northern tributaries, Mahanadi, Godavari and West Flowing Rivers originating from the Western Ghats are found to be surplus in water resources. If we can build storage reservoirs on these rivers and connect them to other parts of the country, regional imbalances could be reduced significantly and lot of benefits by way of additional irrigation, domestic and industrial water supply, hydropower generation, navigational facilities etc. would accrue.
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The increasing needs for water in many parts of the world to meet varied demands especially in arid and semi-arid region has given boost to large inter basin transfers in the last few decades. Accordingly, many schemes of large scale water transfer projects have been planned and some of them implemented and are standing as a land mark for the over all development of the respective regions. A few of them are briefly described here.
Periyar Project: The project is the most notable endeavor of the 19th century in transbasin diversion. The project envisages transfer of water from Periyar basin to Vaigai basin. A masonry gravity dam of 47.28 m high has been constructed across a gorge on west flowing Periyar river. A 1,740 m long tunnel with a discharging capacity of 40.75 cumecs has been driven across the mountain barrier to convey the water eastwards to Vaigai basin. The project was commissioned in 1895 and provided irrigation to 57,923 ha initially, which has since been extended to 81,069 ha. There is also a power station of 140 MW capacity.
Parambikulam Aliyar: The project is a complex multi-basin multi-purpose project of seven streams, five flowing towards the west and two towards the east, have been dammed and their reservoirs interlinked by tunnels. The project envisages transfer of water from Chelakudi basin to Bharatapuzha and Cauvery basins. The water is ultimately delivered to drought prone areas in Coimbatore district of Tamil Nadu and the Chittur area of Kerala states. The command area for irrigation is presently about 1,62,000 ha. There is a total of 185 MW power generation capacity at four power houses. This project was built during the second and third five year plans.
Kurnool Cudappah Canal: A private company started this scheme in 1863. The project envisages transfer of water from Krishna basin to Pennar basin. A 8.23 m high anicut was built on the river Tungabhadra upstream of Kurnool town. A 304 km long canal with a capacity of 84.9 cumecs at its head extends from Krishna to Pennar basin and irrigates 52,746 ha. The scheme was taken over by Govt. of India in 1882. Telugu Ganga Project: This project has been recently implemented primarily to meet the pressing need of water supply to Chennai metropolitan area. It brings Krishna water from Srisailam reservoir through an open canal, first to Somasila reservoir in Pennar valley. This involves rock cuts upto 35 m deep. From Somasila, the water is taken through a 45 km canal to Kandaleru and then to Poondi reservoir in Tamil Nadu through another 200 km long canal. By mutual agreement, 12 TMC of water will be delivered to Tamil Nadu at the boarder from Krishna basin. This will greatly augment the water supply to Chennai city. The canal also irrigates 2.33 lakh ha. in Andhra Pradesh enroute. The project was made possible by Maharashtra , Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh voluntarily foregoing 5 TMC. each from their entitlement. This project is a fine example not only of hydraulic engineering but also of Inter- State cooperation. Ravi-Beas-Sutlej- Indira Gandhi Nahar Project: Beas-Sutlej link in combination with the Indira Gandhi Nahar Project is a standing example of how the large inter basin transfers brought about all round socio-economic growth with overall enhancement in the ecology and environment of the region. Under the Indus Water Treaty, the water of three eastern rivers viz. Sutlej, Beas and Ravi were allocated to India. As the land to be benefited in India, lies mostly to the east and south of these rivers, the rivers had to be interlinked and the water conveyed to canal systems for serving vast tracts in India. The main storage on Sutlej is at Bhakra, while that on Beas is at Pong. Bhakra system provides irrigation to 26.3 lakh ha. of new area besides stabilization of existing irrigation of 9 lakh ha. The aggregate generation capacity of power on Bhakra Nangal Project is 1,354 MW. A diversion dam, Pondoh, 140 km upstream of Pong on Beas, enables diversion of water from Beas to Bhakra reservoir and generates 165 MW of power. The Beas-Sutlej link is 37.25 km long of which 25.45 km is tunnel through difficult rock formations. The capacity of the tunnel is 254.70 cumecs. Another dam on Ravi namely, Ranjit Sagar dam will provide additional water to Beas and also generate a large block of power. Subsequently, it was decided to link the Indira Gandhi Nahar Project with the river systems to provide 9.36 BCM of water to Rajasthan Canal for irrigating the areas of Thar Desert.
It is no exaggeration to say that the transfer of surplus waters of Ravi, Beas and Sutlej to Rajasthan right upto Jaisalmer and Barmer through Indira Gandhi Nahar Pariyojana has eliminated drought conditions, provided power benefits, those are writereaddata by the entire North grid, transformed desert waste land into an agriculturally productive area by bringing irrigation and vegetation to about 2 million hectare area. Contribution in agricultural production due to implementation of the project is worth Rs. 1,750 crores annually. Canal water is also available for meeting domestic needs. The Indian military at western boundary receive water from this canal. The project has miraculously changed the living standard and socio-economic conditions of the people in the area. Inter Basin Water Transfers in Other Countries: Many large-scale water transfer schemes have been planned and implemented in other countries also. In Canada, sixteen inter basin water transfer schemes have been implemented for hydropower development.
In United States, the California's State Water Project, first phase of which was completed in 1973, provides for the diversion of 4 cubic km of flow from better-watered northern California to the drier central and southern parts of the State. The conveyance system comprises of 715 km long California Aqueduct, a complex system of lined and unlined canals, pumping stations, siphons and tunnels. The lift involved is nearly 1,000 m. The Texas Water Plan envisages redistribution of water in Texas and New Mexico to meet the needs of the year 2020. Similarly, the waters of the Colorado river (an international river between USA and Mexico) are being supplied outside the basin to the Imperial valley in California. Major existing and under construction inter basin transfers in Canada include Kemano, Churchill Diversion, Well and Canal, James Bay, Churchill Falls, Bay d' Espoir etc. Proposed inter basin transfers in Canada include Ogoki, Long Lake (for transfer within Canada) and North American Water and Power Alliance (NAWAPA), Grand Canal Concept, Canadian Water, Magnum Plan, Central North American Water Project (CeNAWP), Smith Plan etc. for transfer from Canada to USA. In Mexico, for the Mexico city water supply, transfer of ground waters from the Lerma basin was completed in 1958. The Water Plan for the North Western Region (PLHINO) conceived a set of inter basin transfers within the Noroeste region. Mahaveli-Ganga Project of Srilanka includes several inter basin transfer links. Inter basin transfer projects have also been planned and implemented in China and former USSR. A notable scheme executed in the USSR is Irtysh Karganda scheme in the central Kazakhistan. The link canal is about 450 km long with a maximum capacity of 75 cumec. Lift involved is 14 to 22 m. There is another plan to transfer 90,000 Mcum of water from the north flowing river to the area in south. Other proposals include partial redistribution of water resources of northern rivers and lakes of European part to the Caspian Sea basin involving 2 M. Ha. m of water. The Lingua Canal was completed in China in 214 BC and the Grand Canal was completed in 605 AD. Recently completed projects in China include Biliuha - Dalian inter basin water supply system, Trans basin transfer of Luhana River to Tiajian and Tengshan, Inter basin diversion of Guanglong province and Inter basin diversions of Fujian province. Diversion of Quiantang river water, diversion of Yellow river surpluses and South to North transfer projects with the West route, Middle route and East route are other proposed projects. |
http://www.nwda.gov.in/index2.asp?slid=3&sublinkid=3&langid=1
See:http://www.nwda.gov.in/writereaddata/mainlinkfile/File277.pdf Economic impact of interlinking of rivers programme (NCAER Report, 2006)
http://www.nwda.gov.in/writereaddata/mainlinkfile/File394.pdf Supreme Court judgement (Writ 512 of 2002) 3-Judge Bench Judgement delivered on Feb. 27, 2012 (64 pages) SH Kapadia, CJI, AK Patnaik, Justice, Swatanter Kumar, Justice
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![]() A writ Petition 724/1994 with the title “and Quiet Flows the Maily Yamuna” was filed in the Supreme Court during Sept. 2002 by Mr. Ranjit Kumar, Sr. Advocate (Amicus Curiae) quoting the speech of Hon’ble President of India dated 14th August 2002 where need for networking of Rivers had been mentioned and prayed for appropriate directions. The Supreme Court directed to treat this issue as an independent Public Interest Litigation (PIL) Writ Petition (Civil) No. 512 of 2002 with cause title : “Networking of Rivers” and directed centre and states to respond.
In the matter of above PIL on 31st October, 2002 the Court made the following order:
Pursuant to the notice issued by this Court to all the States and the Union Territories in relation to the inter-linking of the rivers, an affidavit has been filed by the Union of India and also by the State of Tamil Nadu. No other State or Union Territory has filed any affidavit and the presumption, therefore, clearly is that they do not oppose the prayer made in this writ petition and it must be regarded that there is a consensus amongst all of them that there should be inter-linking of rivers in India.
In the counter affidavit filed on behalf of the Union of India, it has, inter-alia, been stated that after Rao Committee's Report was received, the Government of India has been studying and planning for inter-linking of rivers for over two decades. It is also mentioned in this affidavit that the Ministry of Water Resources had made a representation on 5th October, 2002 before the Prime Minister on inter-linking of rivers and in that presentation the Deputy Prime Minister and other senior Ministers and officers were also present. It was suggested that a High Level Task Force can be formed which will go into the modalities for bringing consensus among the States. This affidavit further states that the presentation was also made to the President of India on 16th October, 2002 which also shows interest of the President of India in this project and it is in view of his broadcast to the nation on the eve of the Independence Day where emphasis was laid on inter-linking of rivers that has given rise to the filing of the present petition.
Learned Attorney General states that a High Powered Task Force, as referred in the Affidavit of the Union of India, has not yet been formed and by the next date of hearing he should be in a position to inform this Court with regard to the formation of the said task force as well as the decision of the said Force. The Union of India has accepted the concept of inter-linking of rivers and in the affidavit spelt out the benefits which will annure the entire project has been completed.
The State of Tamil Nadu is the only State which has responded to the notice issued by this Court and filed an affidavit. The said State also supports inter-linking of rivers and in its affidavit has prayed that a direction be issued to the Union of India for constituting a High Powered Committee in order to see that the project is completed in time schedule. Alongwith affidavit the prospective plan for implementation of inter-basin water transfer proposals prepared by the National Water Development Agency in May, 2000 has been placed on record. We are distressed to note that milestone for the perspective plan indicated in the report of the Agency shows that even though the Pre-Feasibility Reports regarding the Peninsular & Himalayan projects are already completed, the completion of the link projects ultimately will be by the year 2035 in respect of Peninsular Link Project and 2043 regarding Himalayan Link Project.
It is difficult to appreciate that in this country with all the resources available to it, there will be a further delay of 43 years for completion of the project to which no State has any objection and whose necessity and desirability is recognised and acknowledged by the Union of India. The project will not only give relief to the drought prone areas but will also be an effective flood control measure and would be a form of water harvesting which is being rightly propagated by the Union of India and all the State.
Learned Attorney General states that a more realistic view will be taken and a revised programme on completion would be drawn up and be presented to the Court. We do expect that the programme when drawn up would try and ensure that the link projects are completed within a reasonable time of not more than ten years. We say so because recently the National Highways Projects have been undertaken and the same is nearing completion and the inter-linking of the rivers is complimentary to the state highway and the water ways which are constructed will be of immense benefit to the country as a whole.
The report of the National Water Development Agency refers to negotiations and signing of agreements. This aspect is also adverted to by the Union of India in its affidavit when it mentioned that consent of all the States affected by the Inter-linking of the rivers has to be obtained. Learned Attorney General would like to consider this aspect as it is contended by Mr. Ranjit Kumar that if a legislation under Entry 56 list I of the Constitution is made, the need for the consent would not arise and the Centre would be in a position to undertake the project and complete the same within a reasonable period of time.
It is not open to this Court to issue any direction to the Parliament to legislate but the Attorney General submits that the Government will consider this aspect and, if so advised, will bring an appropriate legislation.
Mr. Ranjit Kumar, learned amicus has drawn our attention to River Board Act, 1956 which has been enacted by the Parliament. Learned Attorney General would look into this in order to examine whether any further piece of legislation is necessary for bringing about the inter-linking of the rivers.The parties are at liberty to file in Court any reports or papers containing studies in respect of the said project. To come up for further orders on 16th December, 2002.
Upon hearing counsel on 16th December, 2002 the Court made the following order:
Learned Attorney General has brought to our notice resolution dated 13.12.2002 passed by Ministry of Water Resources, Government of India, inter alia, stating that National Water Development Agency has, after carrying out detailed studies and investigations for preparation of feasibility reports identified 30 links and prepared feasibility reports of six such links. It also notices that various basin States have expressed divergent views about the studies and feasibility reports prepared by the said Agency and with a view to bringing out a consensus among the States and provide guidance on norms of appraisal of individual projects and modalities for project funding etc. the Central Government has set up a Task Force details whereof are given in paras 3 & 4 of the resolution. Para 5 sets out the terms of reference of the said Task Force and para 8 sets out the time table for achieving the goal of inter-linking of rivers by the end of 2016. Mr.Ranjit Kumar, learned amicus curiae, prays for a short adjournment for filing response thereto. List on 20th January, 2003.
Upon hearing counsel on 20th January, 2003 Court made the following order: It would be expedient if the matter is adjourned by about three months so that the Court is in a position to know as to what progress has been made in the matter. List the matter in the Ist weeks of May, 2003.
Upon hearing the case on 5th May, 2003, the Hon'ble Supreme Court made the following order:
Pursuant to order dated 20th Janury, 2003, an affidavit dated 5th May, 2003 has been filed by Mr.BP Pandey, Deputy Commissioner, Ministry of Water Resources, Government of India, annexing thereto the resolution dated 13.12.2002 constituting a Task Force, time table for interlinking of rivers, other resolutions nominating part time and full time members of the Task Force and few other documents. It seems that in last about four months three meetings of Task Force have been held on 6th January, 2003, 27th March, 2003 and 28th April, 2003. In the last meeting the first Action Plan as per Government Resolution was considered and adopted. Now as per Action Plan-I the schedule for impelementation is 10 years from the start. It stipulates that the work on the links can be started from 2007. It is envisaged to be completed by say end of 2016. Further it envisages that the group of Task Force of interlinking rivers will examine the two schedules and is expected to arrive at a reasonable and predicable implementation schedule in due course. According to Action Plan -I the said Task Force has laid emphasis on demonstrative value of starting work on a link or two, as soon as possible. The process of preparation of Detailed Project Report for an inter basin link need to cover also, Detailed Environmental Impact Assessment, Environmental Management Plan and R&R Plan for project affection persons. We find no substance in the apprehension that the Task Force will not implement the law. We have also no doubt that in case the other experts in the field provide necessary inputs to the Task Force, it will give it due consideration the same deserves. For the present, we would direct posting of the matter after six months.
Upon hearing the case on 10th Nov, 2003, the Hon'ble Supreme Court made the following order:
Union of India is directed to file an affidavit placing on record up-to-date progress in the matter within a period of six weeks. List the matters thereafter.
Upon hearing the case on 6th Jan, 2004, the Hon'ble Supreme Court made the following order:
The Task Force of Interlinking of Rivers has filed a Progress Report which deals with various aspects. It, inter alia, mentions that Interlinking of Rivers have two major components i.e. Himalayan Component (14 links) and Peninsular component (16 links) It further mentions that the former component i.e. Himalayan links requires an understanding with neighbouring countries like Bhutan and Nepal. We hope that steps are being taken to have requisite discussions with the said countries. Regarding Peninsular link, the progress report records that in respect of two links - (1) Ken - Betwa link (U.P. and M.P.) and (2)Parbati - Kalisindh - Chambal link (M.P. and Rajasthan), quick implementation is feasible in respect of the first link. In respect of the first link, feasibility Report is stated to be complete and Central Water Commission has been asked to initiate steps for preparation of Detailed Project Report. It is, however, not indicated as to when the said DPR is likely to be prepared. In respect of second, the Report notes that National Water Development Agency has been directed to take necessary steps to prepare Feasibility Report by March, 2004 so as to take action for preparation of DPR thereafter. It is stated by learned counsel appearing for Union of India that in respect of these two links the State of Madhya Pradesh and State of Rajasthan have given their consent and the discussions with State of Uttar Pradesh are at advance stage and the Feasibility Report shall be prepared once the consent is received from the State of Uttar Pradesh. Further Progress Report may be filed by Union of India by23rd April, 2004 and the matter shall be listed in the last week of April, 2004.
Upon hearing the case on 26th April, 2004, the Hon'ble Supreme Court made the following order:
Pursuant to the order dated 6th January, 2004, an affidavit by Joint Commissioner (Basin Management), Ministry of Water Resources, Government of India, dated 23rd April, 2004, has been filed. We have perused the said affidavit which details the progress in the matter of interlinking of rivers. Dealing with the follow up action on signing of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh and between Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, the affidavit states that the Government of Madhya Pradesh has communicated its consent to sign the MOU while the matter is under discussion with the Governments of Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh and efforts are being made to sort out the differences. With regard to the follow up action by Central Water Commission and National water Development Agency, it has been stated that the detailed project report for Ken-Betwa link is proposed be completed by Central Water Commission in thirty months. Our attention was drawn to the time table for interlinking of rivers already filed, according to which, for completion of detailed project reports, the time stipulated was 31st December, 2006. The feasibility report of Parbati-Kalisindh-Chambal link is stated to have been completed in March, 2004.
In respect of putting the feasibility report on website, an affidavit be filed along with the next progress report. Prima facie we cannot contemplate any reason for the feasibility report not putting on website. In the affidavit to be filed, the aspect of central legislation, as noticed in this Court's order dated 31st October, 2002, be also indicated.
Further progress report and the affidavit shall be filed within four months.
List after four months”.
Upon hearing the case on 30th August, 2004, the Hon'ble Supreme Court made the following order:
We have perused the affidavit of Mr. M.S. Gupta, Senior Joint Commissioner (Basin Division), Ministry of Water Resources; Government of India dated 24th August, 2004 along with which progress report in the matter of interlinking of rivers has been filed. The progress report being not very clear on our query, learned Solicitor General states that the Government has taken, in principal, decision to continue with interlinking of rivers. The matter, after comprehensive review is likely to be placed before the Cabinet after about six weeks. The report of the Standing Committee on Water Resources has been taken on record. Our attention has also been drawn by Mr. Ranjit Kumar, Amicus Curiae to the Report of the Standing Committee on Water Resources 2004-2005 inter alia stating that the committee desires that the Government to make earnest efforts to get going the interlinking of the Northern and Southern rivers under ILR Programme in a definite time schedule which, in their considered view, would save the nation from the devastating ravages of chronic droughts and floods. Be that as it may, as prayed by learned Solicitor General, we defer the matter by eight weeks. The up-to-date progress report be filed within eight weeks and the matter be listed thereafter.
Upon hearing the case on 1st November, 2004, the Hon'ble Supreme Court made the following order:
Pursuant to orders dated 30th August, 2004, a progress report in the matter of "Interlinking of Rivers" has been filed in the form of an annexure (Annexure R-9) to the affidavit of Shri M.S. Gupta, Senior Joint Commissioner (Basin Management), Ministry of Water Resources. Learned Solicitor General has also brought to our notice the presentation on the aspect of interlinking of rivers which was made by the Ministry of Water Resources in a high powered meeting, comprising of the Prime Minister, Union Minister of Finance, Deputy Chairman, Planning Commission, Member, Planning Commission, and Member Secretary to the Prime Minister amongst others. That presentation was made on 11th October, 2004. With reference to the project reports pertaining to link between Ken-Betwa which has a length of 231 Kms. and the link between Parbati-Kalisindh-Chambal with a length of 243 Kms., in the first link there being two States (U.P. & M.P.) and in the second link again there being two States (M.P. & Rajasthan), it has been, inter alia, stated that the consensus group has been asked to intensify its efforts with a view to resolve technical issues with the State Governments and submit its report by November, 2004. The presentation, however, stipulates that after the receipt of the report that may be submitted by November, 2004, the Secretary (Water Resources) will hold discussions with concerned State Governments followed by political level meetings to reach an understanding so that preparation of Detailed Project Reports (DPRs) can start. It has also been stipulated that other apprehensions of States will be addressed at DPR stage. The presentation has priortised the different project components for preparation of DPRs and implementation.
In regard to involvement of environmentalists and others, this Court in its order dated 5th May, 2003 had directed that the process of preparation of DPRs for an inter basin link needs to cover also a detailed environmental impact assessment, environmental management plan and R&R plan for project affected persons. An apprehension was expressed at that stage that the matters of environment may be over looked in the implementation of this project. This Court found no substance in the apprehension that the Task Force would not implement the law. It was observed that in case other experts in the field provide necessary inputs, that would be given due consideration it deserves. Now, a perusal of the present report shows that it has been specifically noticed that a group of environmentalists, social activists and other experts will be constituted by the Ministry of Water Resources which will be involved in the consultative process for the project. In the order dated 26th April, 2004, we had observed that, prima facie, it is not possible to contemplate any reason for the feasibility report not being put on website. In the Status Report, it has been mentioned that the Chiarman, Governing Body, NWDA and Secretary (Water Resources) has directed NWDA on 13th October, 2004 to take further action for putting the feasibility report on Ken-Betwa Link on website. For further consideration the matter shall be placed before the Court in the last week of January or first week of February, 2005.
Upon hearing the case on 4th Feb, 2005, the Hon'ble Supreme Court made the following order:
The learned counsel for the Union of India prays for four weeks' time to file the status report. Prayer is allowed and the writ petitions are adjourned. UPON hearing counsel the Court made the following ORDER on 8th April 2005:
We have perused the status report filed in the form of an affidavit of Shri M.S. Gupta, Senior Joint Commissioner (Basin Management), Ministry of Water Resources, Government of India.
In so far as Ken-Betwa link is concerned, though the affidavit and the documents accompanying it state that the Principal Secretary, Government of Uttar Pradesh, would inform the decision of the Government by the end of January, 2005, we are told by the learned Solicitor General that the Government of Uttar Pradesh has conveyed its consent, subject to certain conditions, in particular the condition of funding. The cost of preparation of the Detailed Project Report [for short, "D.P.R."] is proposed to be done from Central funding amounting to Rupees thirty crores. We take note of the fact that now a Memorandum of Understanding is required to be signed between the Government of Uttar Pradesh and the Central Government.
In so far as Parbati-Kalisindh-Chambal link is concerned, the consensus group headed by the Chairman, Central Water Commission, held its meeting on 2nd November, 2004, and discussed the issues raised by the Governments of Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh regarding Parbati-Kalisindh-Chambal link. The group submitted its report to the Ministry. The Governments of Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh were asked to give concurrence for signing the Memorandum of Understanding so that the work for preparation of D.P.R. could commence. It seems that certain issues are still to be sorted out with the State of Rajasthan even after the inter-State meeting of Chief Secretaries held on 11th January, 2005. We hope that the issues would be sorted out without the intervention of the Court.
It further appears that the feasibility reports of three other links in Peninsular component, namely Par-Tapi Narmada Link, Godavari (Polavaram)- Krishna (Vijayawada) link and Daman Ganga-Pinjal link, have been taken up for initiating action for consensus building. Annexure R-4 to the affidavit shows that the feasibility reports in respect of fourteen Peninsular component and two Himalyan components have been completed. Mr. Prashant Bhushan, learned counsel, submits that despite the orders of this Court, only one feasibility report has been put on the website. The order of the Court is clear and we direct its compliance in letter and spirit so that the feasibility reports shall be put up on the website soon after its completion. One of the objects sought to be achieved is that the concerned environmentalists and others can put forth their view-point which can be considered. The view-point can be placed before the Committee of Environmentalists, social scientists and other experts on inter-linking which has been constituted by the Government in terms of Office Memorandum dated 28th December, 2004. We feel that the Group shall also intimate and invite Mr. Ranjit Kumar, learned Amicus Curaie, by giving sufficient notice of the meeting. The concerned persons, above noted, can also bring their view-point before Mr. Ranjit Kumar as well.
The Office Memorandum dated 29th December, 2004 shows that the task force on inter-linking of rivers, having submitted its report, has been wound up with effect from 31st December, 2004 and a special cell is constituted to look after the residuary work of the task force and for taking follow up action on the inter-linking of river programmes under the Ministry of Water Resources. That special cell was earlier headed by a Joint Secretary but now in terms of Office Memorandum dated 15th February,2005, it has been directed to be headed by the Commissioner (Project) in the said Ministry.
It may also be noted that the terms of reference of the Environmentalists Committee, above noted, seem to be quite comprehensive and that is the reason we have directed that all concerned may place their view-point before the said Committee. The next status report be filed within three months.
UPON hearing counsel the Court made the following Order on 8th Aug, 2005:
Contempt Petition (C) No.163 of 2005:
The grievance made in this petition is that, despite repeated orders of this Court, the respondents have not put the feasibility reports on website, except the feasibility report in respect of Ken-Betwa Link project. The orders that have been passed by this Court for putting the feasibility reports on website are dated 26th April, 2004, 1st November, 2004 and 8th April, 2005. The advantage of putting the said reports on website has also been indicated in the order dated 8th April, 2005. With reference to the orders earlier passed, it was directed on 8th April, 2005, that feasibility reports shall be put on website soon after its completion. Pursuant to the order dated 8th April, 2005, Mr. K. Vohra, Senior Joint Commissioner (Basin Management), Ministry of Water Resources, has filed a status report in the form of an affidavit in respect of some of the links. It is stated that the Government of Gujarat has not agreed to put feasibility report on the website and the response of other concerned State, namely, Maharashtra, is awaited. This is in respect of Par-Tapi Narmada and Damanganga-Pinjal links. We fail to understand, where was the necessity for the Government of India to ask any other authority or State Government for its agreement for placing the feasibility reports on website when specific orders have been passed by this Court. If Government of India or any State had any difficulty in implementing the direction of placing the feasibility reports on website, it was open to them to approach this Court and seek further directions. Nothing of the kind has been done by any of the parties or the Government.
Mr. Goolam E. Vahanvati, learned Solicitor General, states that it appears that the feasibility report of Parbati Kalisindh-Chambal link project has also been put on website recently. At present, though we are not inclined to take any action as sought for in this contempt petition in view of the submission of the learned Solicitor General that there was some confusion in the mind of some officers in respect of the direction made for putting the feasibility reports on website, we direct that all such feasibility reports, which are ready and complete, shall be put on website without reference to any person or authority and without any further delay. This would dispose of the contempt petition.
In respect of Parbati Kalisindh-Chambal link, the affidavit shows that the matter has already been discussed at the level of Consensus Building Group. It is pointed out that the Chief Ministers of the States of Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh are expected to meet shortly and discuss various issues. In respect of Ken-Betwa link, from the affidavit, it appears that though the Government of Madhya Pradesh has given its consent, the Government of Uttar Pradesh has not even responded. Reference in this affidavit has been made to the letter written on 19th May, 2005. It is stated that the response from the State of Uttar Pradesh is still awaited. The learned counsel for the State of Uttar Pradesh is present but without any instructions. We direct the State of Uttar Pradesh to cooperate in the matter. For the present, we say no more. Further, it has been brought to our notice by the learned Solicitor General that papers for convening the meeting of the Committee of Environmentalists, Social Scientists and other experts have been processed and it is expected that a date for the said meeting will be fixed shortly of which sufficient notice would be given to Mr. Ranjit Kumar, learned Amicus Curiae.
In respect of Godavari (Polavaram)-Krishna (Vijayawada) Link, Damanganga-Pinjal Link and Par-Tapi Narmada Link, it has been stated in the affidavit that sixth meeting of `Consensus Group is stated to be now fixed for 23rd August, 2005.
http://www.nwda.gov.in/index2.asp?slid=58&sublinkid=52&langid=1&plid=49&pplid=52
http://www.nwda.gov.in/writereaddata/mainlinkFile/File299.pdf ILR in Supreme Court
| | The National Perspective Plan would give additional benefits of 25 million hectares of irrigation from surface waters, 10 million hectares by increased use of ground water, totaling to 35million hectares and 34,000 MW of hydro-power generation. In addition the likely incidental benefits are: Mitigation of Droughts
Flood Control
Domestic & Industrial Water Supply
Navigational Facilities
Employment Generation
Fisheries
Salinity Control
Pollution Control
Recreation Facilities
Infrastructural Development
Socio – Economic Development | | National Water Development Agency (NWDA) was set up in July, 1982 as Autonomous Society under the Societies Registration Act, 1860, to carry out the water balance and other studies on a scientific and realistic basis for optimum utilisation of Water Resources of the Peninsular rivers system for preparation of feasibility reports and thus to give concrete shape to Peninsular Rivers Development Component of National Perspective. In 1990, NWDA was also entrusted with the task of Himalayan Rivers Development Component of National Perspectives. Recently, the functions of NWDA have been further modified and the work of preparation of detailed Project Reports (DPR) of various link proposals and Pre-feasibility Reports and feasibility reports of intra-State links as proposed by the States have been included in the functions of NWDA.
FUNCTIONS OF NWDA:
a) To carry out detailed surveys and investigations of possible reservoir sites and interconnecting links in order to establish feasibility of the proposal of Peninsular Rivers Development and Himalayan Rivers Development components forming part of National Perspective for Water Resources Development prepared by the then Ministry of Irrigation (now Ministry of Water Resources) and Central Water Commission. b) To carry out detailed surveys about the quantum of water in various Peninsular River Systems and Himalayan River Systems which can be transferred to other basins/States after meeting the reasonable needs of basin/states in the foreseeable future. c) To prepare feasibility report of the various components of the scheme relating to Peninsular Rivers development and Himalayan Rivers development. d) To prepare detailed project report of river link proposals under National Perspective Plan for Water Resources Development after concurrence of the concerned States. e) To prepare pre-feasibility/feasibility report of the intra-state links as may be proposed by the States. f) To do all such other things the Society may consider necessary, incidental, supplementary or conducive to the attainment of above objectives.National Water MissionA. Main objective and Background The main objective of the National Water Mission (NWM) is “conservation of water, minimizing wastage and ensuring its more equitable distribution both across and within States through integrated water resources development and management”. The five identified goals of the Mission are: (a) comprehensive water data base in public domain and assessment of impact of climate change on water resource; (b) promotion of citizen and state action for water conservation, augmentation and preservation; (c) focused attention to vulnerable areas including over-exploited areas; (d) increasing water use efficiency by 20%, and (e) promotion of basin level integrated water resources management. Various strategies for achieving the goals have been identified which lead to integrated planning for sustainable development and efficient management with active participation of the stakeholders after identifying and evaluating the development scenario and management practices towards better acceptability on the basis of assessment of the impacts of climate change on water resources based on reliable data and information. Relatively very large temporal and spatial variation in rainfall and consequently in the river flow and ground water aquifers is an important feature of the water resources in India. Although the impact of climate change on water resources has not been accurately quantified, various studies indicate that the likely impact of climate change on water resources could contribute to further intensification of the extreme events. Further, the features of water resources – both the availability and the quality may also be considerably affected by the changes in the land use in the form of urbanization, industrialization and changes in the forest cover. Realizing that the various processes which influence the hydrologic cycle are of dynamic nature, precise quantification of the impact specifically due to climate change may not be a simple task and it would be necessary to make suitable assumption at the initial stages and undertake detailed simulation studies with more and more data as they become available with time. However, the likely impact of climate change on water resources could be in the form of: 1. Decline in the glaciers and the snowfields in the Himalayas; 2. Increased drought like situations due to overall decrease in the number of rainy days in many parts of the country; 3. Increased flood events due to overall increase in the rainy day intensity; 4. Effect on groundwater quality in alluvial aquifers due to increased flood and drought events; 5. Influence on groundwater recharge due to changes in precipitation and evapotranspiration; 6. Increased saline intrusion of coastal and island aquifers due to rising sea levels. From the above, it is apparent that in the context of likely impact of climate change on water resources, the most vulnerable areas in India would include (a) drought prone areas, (b) flood prone areas, (c) the coastal regions, (d) the region with deficient rainfall, (e) areas with over-exploited, critical and semi-critical stage of ground water development, (f) water quality affected areas, and (g) snow-fed river basins. For achieving the objectives of the National Water Mission, long-term sustained efforts both in terms of time bound completion of identified activities and ensuring the implementation of identified policies and enactment of necessary legislation through persuasion at different levels with the State Governments have been envisaged.
Study Reports - National Water Mission Scoping Study for a National Water Use Efficiency Improvement Support Programme conducted by Asian Development Bank (ADB): Volume-1 : Volume-2 : Volume-3
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Aqueduct for Reborn Vedic River Sarasvati
Pont du Gard is an example of an aqueduct, a water course crossing another water course like a road-over-bridge. Such an aqueduct will be the cetre-piece for transferring Sharada River waters across the Yamuna River to augment the flows of Reborn Vedic River Sarasvati.![]()
The multiple arches of the Pont du Gard in Roman Gaul (modern-day southern France). The upper tier encloses an aqueduct that carried water to Nimes in Roman times; its lower tier was expanded in the 1740s to carry a wide road across the river.
Rajiv Malhotra. Image courtesy Rajiv Malhotra's Facebook page
ArchaeoNewsNet
PMO India 
Lake Manasarovar. 
A writ Petition 724/1994 with the title “and Quiet Flows the Maily Yamuna” was filed in the Supreme Court during Sept. 2002 by Mr. Ranjit Kumar, Sr. Advocate (Amicus Curiae) quoting the speech of Hon’ble President of India dated 14th August 2002 where need for networking of Rivers had been mentioned and prayed for appropriate directions. The Supreme Court directed to treat this issue as an independent Public Interest Litigation (PIL) Writ Petition (Civil) No. 512 of 2002 with cause title : “Networking of Rivers” and directed centre and states to respond.
Cameron letter
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