NATIONAL WATER GRID

The distribution of rainfall in India is highly unequal and seasonal. The rivers having their origin in the Himalayas are perennial, while those of Peninsular India are generally seasonal. During the months of general rains, much of the water is wasted during floods and flows down to the sea, but in the dry months of the year there is scarcity of water. Consequently, there are droughts and famines in one part of the country and floods in the other regions. The problems of droughts and floods can be minimised through the inter-basin linkages or through national water grid, under which, water from one river basin can be transferred to another basin for optimum and judicious utilisation. The salient features of the National Water Grid are as follows:

1. The Ganga-Kaveri Link Canal passing through the basins of Son, Narmada, Tapi, Godavari, Krishna, Penner, and Kaveri.

2. The Brahmaputra-Ganga Link Canal passing through Bangladesh.

3. The Narmada Canal passing through Gujarat and Rajasthan.

4. The Canal from Chambal to Central Rajasthan.

5. The Link Canals between the rivers of the Western Ghats towards the east.