he Indian government hopes to move forward with the implementation of a massive engineering initiative that would divert water from the country’s major rivers to drought prone area, Water Resources Minister Uma Bharti told BBC on Monday.
The announcement takes place as at least 330 million people are affected by drought in India.
The US$168 billion proposal, known as the Interlinking of Rivers (ILR), would divert 174 billion cubic meters of water annually to better manage seasonal floods and drought while significantly extending irrigation and hydropower capacities nationwide.
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"Interlinking of rivers is our prime agenda and we have got the people's support and I am determined to do it on the fast track," Bharti told BBC.
"The water crisis will be there [in the future] because of climate change but through this [interlinking of rivers] we will be able to help the people," she added.
India’s ruling government Bharatiya Janata Party is focused on managing watersheds and linking rivers to move water to dry regions to combat the crisis in India, which has 17 percent of the world's population but only 4 percent of fresh rain water resources.
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However, some environmental groups warn that the government plan to inter-link rivers would result in irreversible damage to the country’s natural river system.
Activist and water expert Himanshu Thakkar criticized the project stating that, “ILR is costly, environmentally destructive, socially disruptive and a non-optimum option, particularly in view of the changing climate, in addition to other issues.”
Officials have forecast an above-average monsoon this year, offering hope for struggling farmers who rely heavily on the annual rains.