Connecting the rivers is not the solution

Stanley Reservoir at Mettur in Salem opens floodgates on September 1, 2026 for irrigation in Cauvery delta areas. | Photo credit: ANI

Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s speech at the South Zonal Council meeting in Mamallapuram last month provided some insights on the contentious issue of water sharing. His emphasis on the need for an early resolution of water-related issues in the southern region seems to make sense, but it is easier said than done. He also talked about the interlinking of major rivers from the Brahmaputra to the Godavari and the Cauvery, an option that Mr. Shah said can ensure that India does not face water shortages for 100 years.

However, water problems are not so easy to solve. This follows the Centre’s response to Tamil Nadu’s demand for a tribunal to adjudicate the Pennaiyar river water dispute. Concerned over Karnataka’s “violation” of the 1892 Inter-State Agreement, Tamil Nadu requested the Center to set up a tribunal in November 2019. He appealed to the Supreme Court with the same request. Since then, two negotiating committees have been formed and 11 meetings have taken place. Finally, in February this year, the apex court ordered the Center to set up a tribunal within a month and later extended the deadline by six months.

However, the judicial body has not yet been established. Meanwhile, the Center asked the court whether the Pennaiyar dispute could be referred to the Mahadayi Water Disputes Tribunal instead of setting up a new court. This suggestion defies logic because there is nothing in common between the two disputes. Moreover, the Interstate River Water Disputes Act of 1956 does not allow it. This suggestion in the Pennaiyar case gives the impression that the Center is not interested in expeditious implementation of the court verdict in the inter-state river dispute. To cite one more example, the central government is yet to respond to Tamil Nadu’s demand in March this year that a tribunal be set up for the Karnataka-proposed Mekedatu dam project.

A complex problem

Given these facts, there is no need to delve too much into the complications that the linking of rivers would bring. Proponents of river interlinking, including in Tamil Nadu, say the idea is not to disturb the natural flow of any river, but to divert some of the excess water. Many experts are unconvinced by this argument, fearing that once the interconnection is allowed, the regions benefiting from it may begin clamoring for water even in times of emergency, ultimately depriving the original beneficiaries of their quotas. This is in addition to concerns about possible adverse effects on the ecology. In fact, Keralam strongly opposes the Pamba-Achankovil-Vaippar link proposal, which, if implemented, will affect what the state says is the Vembanad wetland system where the Pamba and Achankovil rivers drain. However, the National Water Development Agency says it has been responsible for improving river flow in lean periods.

In the last 130 years, the country has seen only a few inter-basin projects, most of which are in South India. The Mullaperiyar Dam, the Parambikulam-Aliyar Project, the Krishna Water Supply Project and the Indira Gandhi Canal Project are considered successful examples of inter-basin river water transfer.

After the Bharatiya Janata Party returned to power in 2014, the Union government formed a Special Committee on Interlinking of Rivers, which has held more than two dozen meetings since then. Needless to say, not much progress was made.

However, in 2024, Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone for the ₹44,000 crore Ken-Betwa Link project. This has now led to unrest among the tribal population in Chhatarpur.

What the central and state governments and civil society should focus on is demand-side management, instead of constantly looking for supply-side interventions. With land becoming scarcely available and resistance growing among people to acquire land, the days of implementing mega irrigation projects are almost over. Maintaining affordable and judicious use must be a priority. A large-scale program of sensitization and incentives to farmers for optimum use of water should be initiated. The indiscriminate extraction of groundwater, facilitated by free electricity schemes for agriculture in many states, is setting the stage for environmental disaster and must be curtailed immediately. Unless water conservation becomes the mantra of all stakeholders and is not actually practiced, disputes will be the norm.

Published – 03 Sep 2026 0:35 IST