UPSC Mains 2017 · GS III · Q8 · 10 marks · 150 words

Not many years ago, river linking was a concept but it is becoming a reality in the country. Discuss the advantages of river linking and its possible impact on the environment.

हिन्दी में

यह बहुत वर्षों पहले की बात नहीं है जब नदियों को जोड़ना एक संकल्पना थी, परन्तु अब यह देश में एक वास्तविकता बनती जा रही है । नदियों को जोड़ने से होने वाले लाभों पर एवं पर्यावरण पर इसके संभावित प्रभाव पर चर्चा कीजिए ।

Irrigation and WaterBiodiversity and Conservation

How a topper answered the closest question

Toppers wrote this one in a test series: “Interlinking of rivers can solve the problem of drought and floods in India. Critically evaluate”

Saksham GoelAIR 27 · CSE 2021 · 172 wordsTheir whole copy

Opening · a date or context

Interlinking of rivers was first proposed by Arthur Cotton and then by K.L.N Rao after independence. It essentially includes transfer of water from surplus to deficit areas.

Body · points

Merits of ILR.

(1) Prevent droughts and floods (2) Increase irrigated area by 36 Mha (3) Possibility of hydro-electric dams. (4) Inland Waterways

Diagram
A map of India showing it divided into two parts by a vertical line, with the left side labelled as 'Water deficit area' and the right side labelled as 'Water surplus area'.

Role in solving floods and droughts

(1) Given climate crisis, erratic monsoons, floods in Eastern India and urban areas and droughts in West and South can be managed by strategic and calculated release of water for optimal distribution.

Key Challenges and Potential concerns

(1) Environment concerns of biodiversity ↳ e.g Ken Betwa project (SDG14) (Panna Tiger Reserve) (2) Mixing of different type of waters of different rivers - problem of biodiversity in rivers (3) Floods and droughts as inevitable ↳ recent Mullaperiyar issue (4) Increase inter-state water conflicts (5) As climate changes, water will be scarce everywhere. Future water resources are unpredictable

Way Forward

(1) Take a "link-by-link" approach rather than a big bang approach (2) Consider alternatives like virtual water trade

Close · a way forward

None written.

How toppers approach this question, and more on its topic: open the question.

Source: UPSC, Civil Services (Main) Examination 2017, General Studies Paper III, Q8. The paper on upsc.gov.in. Themes and links to toppers’ answers are by UPSC Grade, not by UPSC.