5. Links between the Rivers of the Western Ghats to the East

The rivers of the Western Ghats carry enormous quantity of water during the rainy season. Due to steep gradient and the narrow coastal plains much of the water goes to the Arabian Sea as waste. This water may be diverted to the rain-shadow areas of the Western Ghats through the diversion canals where it can be utilised for irrigation. The Periyar Diversion Scheme, constructed several years ago, is such a type of model scheme where the surplus water of the west-flowing Periyar river has been collected in a barrage and diverted through a tunnel across the Sayadri, so as to meet the water needs of the drought prone areas of Tamil Nadu in the east. Other projects of western Ghats include: Damanganga with Pinjal, Bedti with Varda, Netravati with Hemavali and Pamba with Vaippar (Fig. 3.11).

Similar schemes may also be executed in case of other rivers of the Western Ghats.