Par Tapi Narmada River-Linking Project-Geography(28th March)

Geography 

 

Par Tapi Narmada River-Linking Project

Context

• The tribals in Gujarat are protesting against the Centre’s Par Tapi Narmada river-linking project .
• Mentioned in the budget speech (2022-23) of the finance minister – five river linking projects will be taken up after consensus among states.

Background – National River Linking Project

• National Perspective Plan – the transfer of water from water ‘surplus’ basins where there is flooding, to water ‘deficit’ basins where there is drought/scarcity.
• Under the NPP, the National Water Development Agency (NWDA) has identified 30 links (16 under Peninsular Component and 14 under Himalayan Component) for preparation of Feasibility Reports (FRs).

Important for Prelims – Budget Speech                     

• Damanganga-Pinjal
• Par-Tapi-Narmada
•  Godavari-Krishna
•  Krishna-Pennar
• Pennar-Cauveri
•  Ken-Betwa

UPSC – PREVIOUS YEAR QUESTION – 2016

Recently, linking of which of the following rivers was undertaken? 

1. Cauvery and Tungabhadra
2. Godavari and Krishna
3. Mahanadi and Sone
4. Narmada and Tapti

 

 

Par Tapi Narmada Project 

Par Tapi Narmada Project – Basics

• Excess water in the interlinked Par, Tapi and Narmada rivers which flow into the sea in the monsoon would be diverted to Saurashtra and Kutch for irrigation.
• Saurashtra went through severe droughts over the years to the extent that people could no longer grow crops, nor did they have drinking water available.
• Kutch which is shallow wetland which submerges in water during the rainy season and becomes dry during other seasons. 

Par Tapi Narmada Project – Important for Prelims

It proposes to link three rivers 

• Par, originating from Nashik in Maharashtra and flowing through Valsad
• Tapi from Saputarathat flows through Maharashtra and Surat in Gujarat,
•  Narmada originating in Madhya Pradesh and flowing through Maharashtra and Bharuch and Narmada districts in Gujarat.
• The link mainly includes the construction of seven dams (Jheri, Mohankavchali, Paikhed, Chasmandva, Chikkar, Dabdar and Kelwan), three diversion weirs (Paikhed, Chasmandva, and Chikkar dams), two tunnels (5.0 kilometers and 0.5 kilometers length), the 395-kilometre long canal (205 kilometre in Par-Tapi portion including the length of feeder canals and 190 km in Tapi-Narmada portion), and six powerhouses.
• Of these, the Jheri dam falls in Nashik, while the remaining dams are in Valsad and Dang districts of South Gujarat.

When did it all Start – Just a glimpse

• Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between Gujarat, Maharashtra and the central government on May 3, 2010.
• The Detailed Project Report (DPR) for the project was prepared by the National Water Development Agency (NWDA) in 2015 .
•  Modified on the intervention of the Gujarat government, through letters the then chief minister wrote in 2016 – Proposed Changes 

How will the project affect villages?

• According to a report by the NWDA, about 6065 ha of land area will be submerged due to the proposed reservoirs. A total of 61 villages will be affected, of which one will be fully submerged and the remaining 60 partly.
• The affected families may lose their lands or houses or both in the submergence when the reservoirs are created.
• As per the report, the affected families would be compensated for the loss of their lands and houses and those whose houses are submerged, would be resettled.

Irrigation Benefits

• Basic Idea – Excess water in the interlinked Par, Tapi and Narmada rivers which flow into the sea in the monsoon would be diverted to Saurashtra and Kutch for irrigation.
• The surplus water proposed to be diverted through the estimated Rs 10,211 crore Par-Tapi-Narmada link project is expected to irrigate an area of 2,32,175 hectares.

Par Tapi Narmada Project

What are the tribals’ fears?

Context of the News 

• The tribals in Gujarat are protesting against the Centre’s Par Tapi Narmada river-linking project .
• Mentioned in the budget speech (2022-23) of the finance minister – five river linking projects will be taken up after consensus among states.

Mains – River Interlinking – Significance  + Issues

• the transfer of water from water ‘surplus’ basins where there is flooding, to water ‘deficit’ basins where there is drought/scarcity.
• Management of Water Resources +  Agriculture +  Irrigation + Power Generation + Inland Waterways +  Regional Imbalance  – Significance 
• Displacement of People   Ecological Issues + Availability of Resources  +Inter state Disputes + Political Issues+   International Disputes  + Climate Change  – Issues.