"Study Warns River-Linking Project May Spread Invasive Species"
Invasive alien species
non-native organisms that establish and spread, often outcompeting native species
Endemic species
species found naturally only within one specific geographic area
The National River Linking Project (NRLP) is administered by the National Water Development Agency (NWDA) under the Ministry of Jal Shakti, and envisages connecting 37 river basins through 30 links, split into a Himalayan Component (14 links) and a Peninsular Component (16 links). The Project aims to transfer roughly 174 billion cubic metres of water annually from basins classified as 'surplus' to those classified as 'deficit', while also generating power. Because Water is a State List subject under the Seventh Schedule of the Constitution, inter-state links require consent among riparian states, which has historically slowed implementation. The Ken-Betwa Link Project, connecting the Ken and Betwa rivers, is the first NRLP link taken up for construction, intended to address chronic water scarcity in the Bundelkhand region spanning Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh.
The idea of moving water from 'surplus' to 'deficit' basins has long been debated on hydrological grounds: river flows vary by season and year, so a basin classified as surplus in one year may not be so in the next, especially as climate change alters rainfall patterns. Much of this debate has focused on engineering feasibility, cost, and water balance. Less attention has gone to a different kind of risk: each of India's major river basins evolved in relative isolation from the others, and this isolation has allowed many aquatic species to become endemic (meaning they exist naturally in that basin alone). Connecting basins that have never previously exchanged water could therefore have consequences that go well beyond hydrology.
A recent scientific assessment describes the NRLP's proposed canal links as potential 'ecological highways' for invasive alien species (organisms that establish outside their natural range and often outcompete native species). Because most invasive species in India's rivers are currently confined to single basins, linking basins would not only introduce new invasive species into basins that do not currently have them, but would also increase competitive pressure on native and endemic species that have no prior exposure to these invaders.
The assessment found that basins in Northeast and Peninsular India are more vulnerable to biological invasion than those in Central and North India. …
The interlinking of rivers can provide viable solutions to the multi-dimensional inter-related problems of droughts, floods and interrupted navigation. Critically examine.
River linking was once a concept but is becoming a reality in the country. Discuss the advantages of river linking and its possible impact on the environment.
'Water' as a subject is placed under which List of the Seventh Schedule to the Constitution of India?
Consider the following statements about the National River Linking Project (NRLP):
1.It proposes to interlink 37 river basins through 30 links.
2.It is administered by the Central Water Commission under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.
3.It is divided into a Himalayan Component and a Peninsular Component.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Consider the following statements about the Ken-Betwa Link Project:
1.It is the first link of the National River Linking Project to be taken up for actual implementation.
2.It involves transferring water from the Ken river to the Betwa river.
3.It is primarily intended to address water scarcity in the Bundelkhand region.
Which of the statements given above are correct?
Match List I (River basin/link) with List II (significance highlighted in recent ecological assessments of river interlinking):
List I
A.Western Ghats basins
B.Lower Ganga basin
C.Mahanadi basin
D.Ken-Betwa link
List II
1.Hosts a large number of threatened species vulnerable to new invasions
2.Already hosts invasive alien species that could spread via interlinking
3.Intended to address water scarcity in Bundelkhand
4.Part of a globally recognised biodiversity hotspot
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