Geoscience Reference
In-Depth Information
Indus treaty underlines the importance of planning and negotiation to account for the
financial capability of the basin countries to undertake the required works to ensure
an equitable agreement and the important role that leading international institutions
play in strengthening financial capability of the basin countries.
The so-called 'international rivers', lakes and aquifers form the major global
stock of freshwater. There were 214 international river basins, as per the list pre-
pared by the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs up to
1975. Out of these, the UNDP has financed, and assisted in various ways, other UN
agencies and the Secretariat as well as regional organizations, in executing devel-
opment projects, totalling about 30 International river basins. The World Bank has
also long experience of financing and assisting 'international' river development
projects. The Bank has been involved in 29 projects up to 1975 to deal directly with
the development of 'international' rivers and river basins and to resolve disputes.
Inter-State River Basin Organization in India
Disputes also arise on sharing water of rivers that flow through different provinces
within one country, making it difficult for a federal government to resolve them.
Sometimes, they linger for years owing to political influences on the most essential
technical considerations for irrigation and agriculture, drinking water, navigation,
flood and erosion control, power generation etc. Many of such disputes were set-
tled by joint discussions at the initiation of the central government and agreement
reached. Some examples are cited as under:
i)
Bhakra Nangal Project
: Disputes arose between Punjab and Rajasthan on the
share of the waters of the Indus tributaries-the Sutlej, the Ravi and the Beas.
The Bhakra Nangal agreement was reached in 1959 and Rajasthan got its share
of water through a network of canals for irrigation and drinking water.
ii)
The Krishna River Project
: The river flows through Maharashtra and
Karnataka. A dam at Nagarjun Sagar in Karnataka was constructed and the
issue of sharing of water was settled through a commission in 1962.
iii)
The Godavari River Project
: The river flows through five States - Maharashtra,
Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Orissa and Andhra Pradesh. Sir Arthur Cotton, a
British engineer, constructed an anicut in 1847 across the river for irrigation. It
functioned nicely for about 100 years, during which the upstream of the anicut
was totally silted and rendered obsolete. Another dam was constructed over
the branch river to distribute water between the States. Thereafter, a barrage
was constructed on the river in 1980 to transfer water through link-canals.
iv)
The Sone River Project
: The river passes through Madhya Pradesh, Uttar
Pradesh and Bihar. A barrage has been constructed and an agreement signed
in 1973.
v)
The Mahi River Project
: The river flows through Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan
and Gujarat. A barrage on the river has been constructed and an agreement on
water-sharing has been signed in 1965.
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