Indian smart waterways grid interests southern Indian states

Indian smart waterways grid proposed by A C Kamaraj, expert committee member of Interconnecting Waterways, Government of India, finds takers in three southern states of India. The country will not only save $100 billion, but also generate 60,000 MW through hydro-power annually if waterways are interconnected in a smart grid.

 

The proposed water grid, according to Kamaraj, utilises the natural flow of water to circulate it in the State through a series of canals and can be done individually by the States without nationalisation of rivers. Kamaraj said, “It is in many ways similar to the power grid, when you have excess you give it away and when you need it you store it in the canal. As of now, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh have shown interest. In Tamil Nadu, we have proposed a 900-kilometre canal way from Vellore to Sengottai, which will not only act as a buffer for floods, but will also provide water for irrigating 150 million acres,” he added.

 

Kamaraj’s proposal has been lauded by international organisations and the Canadian Government and has the potential to boost the country’s economy. “Another big advantage of connecting canals is navigation. Shipping goods through the canal will cost only one-tenth of road travel and the banks of the canals can also be used as commercial establishments just like those on highways,” said Rathinaraj, a retired engineer from the Public Works Department, who is part of the team. While  the Centre does not have the power to implement a national river grid scheme since rivers come under the purview of the States, each State has to implement it and if necessary, integrate their grid with the neighbouring States to ensure better gains, added Kamaraj.

 

Source: Express News Service

Posted on Thursday, April 10, 2014