A foolhardy scheme best forgotten

Recently there has been a revival of interest regarding the controversial proposal of inter-linking of rivers (ILR). This is despite the fact that only a short while ago the Planning Commission had raised very serious objections to several aspects of this now-off now-on proposal.

The 12th Plan (2012-2017) document said that the ambitious scheme for interlinking of rivers presents major problems. On the costs side, this document said that the comprehensive proposal to link the Himalayan Rivers with the peninsular rivers for inter-basin transfer of water is estimated to cost around Rs. 560,000 crores. Land submergence and rehabilitation and resettlement packages would be additional to this whopping estimate, and the huge running costs like power will be extra. All this massive money is being demanded for a project of dubious merit, for as the Planning Commission points out, "because of our dependence on the monsoon, the periods when rivers have 'surplus' water are generally synchronous across the sub-continent."

Further, the Planning Commission points out, "given the topography of India and the way links are envisaged, it might totally bypass the core dryland areas of Central and Western India, which are located on elevations of more than 300 metres above mean sea level." This review then goes on to mention the possibility of other adverse impacts, such as coastal and delta erosion, as well as possible disruptive impact on the monsoon.

Apart from the serious reservations raised by the Planning Commission, attention may also be drawn to a statement signed by 65 senior academics, former government officials, scientists, engineers, lawyers, journalists, environmentalists, activists and others. This statement has attracted a lot of attention, not the least because among those various eminent persons who have signed it there are also quite a few who have occupied senior government positions in the past. We can identify, for example, three former Secretaries to the Government of India and one former Member of the Planning Commission. In addition among the signatories we have a former Under Secretary-General of the United Nations. Some of the senior-most people of the most reputed academic institutions are also included in this list. This statement criticises the ILR as a 'reckless and major redesigning of the geography of the country'. "The grand design (of the ILR) consisting of 30 projects involving upwards of 80 dams is bound to have major environmental/ecological consequences, which might even be disastrous in some cases."

Pointing out that the very notions of 'surplus' and 'deficit' are highly problematic, this statement says that there will be hardly any flood-moderation as a result of ILR. "This project holds the potential of generating new conflicts between basins." Finally, this statement recommends that "careful, economical, conflict-free and sustainable intra-basin management should come first, and bringing water from elsewhere should be the last recourse".

Himanshu Thakkar, a member of the Ministry of Water Resources' first expert committee on the ILR, has said, "Based on available information, the ILR will require at least 7.61 lakh hectares land and will displace at least 14.8 lakh people. In addition ILR will need at least 20 lakh hectares of land for the canal network. The ILR will also need at least 1.04 lakh hectares of forest land as per available official information." Bharat Singh, Professor Emeritus, Water Resources Training Centre, Indian Institute of Technology, Roorkee, has stated clearly that "any water resources engineer will immediately discard the idea of the ILR as a flood control measure".

Ramaswamy R. Iyer, a former Secretary, Union Ministry of Water Resources, has observed: "Linking a river to another will merely provide additional water to areas already served by rivers. Most of the uplands and dry lands of this country are distant from rivers, and at elevations of 300 m to 1000 m above mean sea level. The ILR will serve very few such areas." The National Commission for Integrated Water Resources Development (NCIWRD) had commented on the Himalayan component of the ILR: "The storages and links involved are of very large sizes and lengths, and the costs of construction and environmental problems would be enormous."
In the context of the peninsular component of the ILR, the NCIWRD report stated: "These links will involve stupendous engineering activity. They'll have large-scale, socio-economic, human and environmental impacts and will involve very high financial outlays." More specifically, the Commission said: "Studies of important east-flowing peninsular river-basins, mainly Mahanadi, Godavari, Krishna, Pennar, Cauvery and Vaigai indicate that there is no imperative need for large-scale transfer of water."

A new Central University for Himalayan Technology will be set up in Uttarakhand says Human Resource Development Minister

Highlights the need for a Rashtriya Aavishkaar Abhiyaan and National Framework for Ranking Universities/Colleges 
National e-Library to be established by the end of this year, says Smt Smriti Irani 

The Union Minister of Human Resource Development, Smt. Smriti Zubin Irani has said that a new Central University for Himalayan Technology will soon be set up in Uttarakhand. The Institute will also have international faculty, the Minister said, while having an interactive session with state representatives at the Conference of State Secretaries of Higher and Technical Education in New Delhi today.

Smt. Smriti Irani expressed concern at the large number of Institutes and Universities mushrooming in various parts of the country with no standard facilities or full faculty. She asked the States to monitor such Institutes to ensure that they conform to the standards. The Minister also supported a strong “Know Your College” drive whereby it would be possible to get the details of Colleges on the website, which would help the students to make correct choices.

The Minister sought the help of states to create an enabling environment for education of children in backward areas, minorities, women, weaker sections and tribal zones. Special steps are being taken by the Ministry to meet needs of higher education of students from the North-east in the form of collaborative efforts with premier institutes of the country, she said.

Mrs Smriti Irani highlighted the need for a Rashtriya Aavishkar Abhiyaan to make science interesting for children, system of finding patents and to make parents and communities a part of the innovation realm. She asked the States to revisit the Right to Education Act in the light of their experiences. The fragmentation between the Primary, Secondary & Higher Education should be removed and skill development should start at the school level while continuing upto the higher levels, she added. Technology will be leveraged for empowering the students and teachers. For this, the Ministry proposes to launch a large number of Massive Open Online Courses (MOOC) and also establish a National e-Library by the end of this year, she explained.

The Minister also said that there should be a National Framework of Ranking of Universities & Colleges suited to the local conditions, circumstances and requirements. The Shaala Deep Programme of schools can also be replicated in colleges, she added.

B2B” PM’s formula for stronger relationship with Bhutan

On his first foreign visit after becoming PM, Narendra Modi who is on a two-day Bhutan visit promised to foster bilateral ties which he described as “B2B —Bharat to Bhutan” as he held talks with the Bhutanese King and countries Prime Minister, discussing an entire range of relationship between the two nations.

Mr. Modi also unveiled the Supreme Court complex built by India as part of the developmental cooperation. Modi described the bilateral ties as “B2B relations — Bharat to Bhutan relations”.

He announced doubling of scholarships granted to Bhutanese students in India which will now be worth Rs 2 crore. Modi also assured to help Bhutan in establishing a digital library, which will provide access to Bhutanese youth to two million books and periodicals.

Prime Minister’s visit to Bhutan holds significance since China has lately scaled up efforts to persuade it and set up full-fledged diplomatic relationship with Bhutan.

NTPC seeks revocation of ban on Lata Tapovan Hydro Power Project
NTPC has filed a plea seeking continuation of work on its Lata Tapovan Hydro Power Project in Uttarakhand that was put on hold following the Supreme Court’s May 7 order. The apex court has issued notice to the government in this regard.

The court had ordered a halt to 24 projects that were proposed within 100 km of eco-sensitive zone from Gangotri. It had also directed the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) and the Uttarakhand government not to grant any environmental or forest approvals for any hydroelectric project in the hill state.

The court had asked the MoEF to form an expert panel to carry out a detailed study whether hydroelectric power projects both existing and under construction have contributed to the environmental degradation in Uttarakhand, if so, to what extent. The expert committee was also directed to examine whether these projects had contributed to the natural disaster that had hit the state in June 2013.

Queen Elizabeth confers Knighthood upon Indian-origin physicist Prof. Tejinder Virdee

Professor Tejinder Virdee, a noted Indian-origin physicist known for his work for the Large Hadron Collider, was conferred an honorary knighthood by Queen Elizabeth II in recognition to his contribution to the field of science.

Prof. Virdee of Imperial College London was named a Knight Bachelor for his services to science in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List. Professor Virdee contribution in the Compact Muon Solenoid (CMS) Experiment is considered his most remarkable service to science. The CMS experiment, at the Large Hadron Collider, CERN, Geneva, has delivered significant results in particle physics, including the landmark discovery of the Higgs Boson, or the God particle, a particle that renders mass to other particles.

Delhi becomes first kerosene-free city in India

"With the successful implementation of 'Delhi: A Kerosene-Free City Scheme, 2012', no subsidised kerosene is being issued in the national capital and the country can save upto Rs. 200 crores every year," said SS Yadav, Commissioner, Food Supply and Weights and Measures.

The scheme was launched in 2012 in collaboration with three Oil Marketing Companies and Union Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas for which Delhi Government had incurred an expenditure of Rs. 62 crores.

Delhi was earlier getting about 53,000 Kilolitre of kerosene oil every year from the Centre, which was issued to eligible households at a subsidised rate. At the present market rate of the oil, it would have cost the government about Rs. 200 crores per year as subsidy, Yadav said.

"Under the scheme, free gas connections along with LPG filled cylinders, two burner gas stove, regulator and suraksha pipe were issued to the Jhuggi Ration Card (JRC), Below Poverty Line (BPL) and Antodaya Ann Yojana (AAY) ration card holders who were using kerosene oil for cooking," Yadav said.

A total 3.56 lakhs such ration card holders could benefit from the scheme but those families which already had an LPG connection were not eligible under it.

Yadav said the department received 2,14,149 applications for free gas connection under the scheme, of which 20,732 were rejected.

"Remaining families did not come forward to take benefit of the scheme because either they already had an LPG connection or they were not interested in the scheme either due to migration or other reasons," he said.

This step would help in environment conservation as no toxic fumes would emanate from burning the oil, lesser possibility of adulteration in petrol, beneficial impact on air pollution and improvement in the quality of life of people benefited under the scheme besides lesser fire accidents and burn injuries, Yadav said.

Proposed Deendayal E-Rikshaws Scheme

The minister for Road transport, Highways and Shipping Shri Nitin Gadkari has said the Shri Narendra Modi’s Government is committed to removing poverty through employment generation and make India an empowered nation. 

Addressing a rally of electric rikshaw pullers in New Delhi today the minister announced some important policy decisions including removing the rickshaws which run with power below .65 watts from the preview of the Motor Vehicles Act.

He said the drivers of these rickshaws should be their owners and they should be able to register their vehicles with the Municipal corporation with a fee of Rs.100/- and get an Identity Card.

Shri Gadkari said that he has proposed to the Prime Minister and the Finance Minister that the scheme may be called “Deendayal e-Riksha”.

Loans for these vehicles may be given at an interest rate of 3% per annum. The minister said the objective of the scheme was to remove the practice of man pulling a man and luggage through manual rikshaw.

The minister said that four people may be allowed to travel in these rikshaws along with two pieces of luggage of 25 kgs each.

Shri Nitin Gadkari said amidst uproar of rikshaw pullers and others who attended the rally that this first decision of the ministry after his takeover is aimed at benefitting two crore rikshaw pullers of the country. He said the poor in the country cannot be distinguished on religious or caste ground. Shri Gadkari also advised all rikshaw pullers to buy only quality rikshaw for the safety of the people.