New Delhi, The government has started work for diversion of Kane and Betwa rivers in Bundelkhand area. At the time of the operation, various experts have warned that the flooding of the rivers could lead to much bigger and worse results than expected.
Experts say that the flooding of rivers could have a detrimental effect on monsoons, biodiversity and social and economic factors. The first project under the National River Jaadan Yojana is to connect the Kane and Betwa rivers of Bundelkhand.
Under this scheme, the government expects 11 lakh hectares of land in Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh to benefit from irrigation. The government plans to divert the water from the river which has more water or flood to the river where there is shortage.
Manoj Mishra, coordinator of Yuma’s GYE campaign, says that it is difficult to imagine the dangers that would arise from the confluence of rivers in this way. “The source of the Kane and Betwa rivers is different. A special kind of fish is found in the river Kane which is used in medicine and it is found here. How can this fish survive if cane water is transferred to the bat?
In the same way other creatures can be endangered. In the same way, it can affect the monsoon. When the river water merges with the sea, all the silt falls into the sea. It is difficult to imagine what would happen if the silt now stopped flowing into the sea, but it could have a definite effect on the monsoon, Mishra said.
Substances within the river silt are required for monsoon.
The confluence of rivers could pose a threat to it, said Himanshu Thackeray, coordinator of the South Asian Network on Dams. The confluence of the two rivers will stop the river silt and its substance going into the sea and the salt water in the sea will stop flowing. The Ganges stretch is similarly affected.
If the substance that is affected by the monsoon is affected, then the effect can be found on the monsoon as well, Thakkar adds. Expressing concern over the possible impact on biodiversity, Thackeray added that as many as 3 lakh large trees would have to be cut down to divert the Ken Betwa River. The impact of such a project on the environment should be extensively researched for the diversion of rivers which has not happened for the Ken Betwa River. SS3KP