and unlined canals, pumping stations, siphons and tunnels. The lift involved is nearly 1,000m.

(ii) Inter basin transfer projects have also been planned and implemented in China and former USSR. A
notable scheme executed in the USSR is Irtysh Karaganda scheme in the central Kazakistan. The link
canal is about 450 Km long with a maximum capacity of 75 cumecs. Lift involved is 14 to 22 m. 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.

(iii) In china recently completed inter basin transfer include Biliuha-Daliah inter basin water supply system,
trans basin transfer of Luhana river to Tiajian river and Tengshan. Diversion of yellow river surpluses and
south to north transfer project.

Promises Pitfalls
Transfer 173 billion cubic metres of water to More inter state water disputes; Diplomatic
water-stressed regions row with Bangladesh &Nepal

Building 11000km of canal network Increased incidence of water logging and

submergence of 79,292 ha of forests.

Generate 34000 MW of power Rising funds a constraint; cost-overturn to

make the project prohibitively costly.

Boost GDP growth by 4% 4.5 lakh people to be displaced.

The foreign schemes give confidence for planning inter-basin water transfer schemes in India. At
the same time, lessons have to be learnt from their actual performance, economic viability and
environmental suitability.

The envisaged benefits to water-deficit regions of the country through interlinking of rivers and
also solution for problems such as flood as seen from case study of Bihar should be assessed and
 analysed in terms of economic, environmental and ecological as well as social cost involved and finding
options and alternatives in the context.

The conceptual, technological and economic aspects of interlinking need comprehensive

examination and analysis.

at 6:59 AM 19 comments

(2) They are likely to cause substantial displacement of people giving rise to problems of resettlement and
rehabilitation. As the people to be displaced will be far from being beneficiaries, there is bound to be
resistance on their part.
(3) As these long link channels may pass through dense forest and habitats of wildlife, their ecological
consequences may be serious and substantive.
(4) Import of vast amount of water in arid or semi-arid areas may adversely affect their dry land ecology.

EXISTING INTER BASIN TRANSFER

PROJECTS
The periyar Project, Parambikulam Aliyar Projet, Kurnool-Cudappah Canal and the Telugu Ganga
Project in the south and inter sub-basin transfers in the Indus basin and Rajasthan canal project in the
north are good examples of inter basin water transfers executed in India in 19th and 20th centuries.

The Periyar project

A masonry gravity dam 47.28m high has been constructed across a gorge on west flowing Periyar
river. A1,740m long tunnel with a discharging capacity of 40.75m 3/s has been driven across the mountain
barrier to convey the waters eastwards to Vaigai basin. The project was commissioned in 1895 and
provided irrigation to 57,923ha initially, which has since been extended to 81,069ha. There