India suffers from floods and draughts every year. These can be controlled by connecting North Indian to South Indian rivers through canals. This idea has been hanging fire for many decades.
Several canals have to constructed for this purpose. Each canal ought to be wide and deep enough so that to boats (preferably wind powered) each carrying, atleast, two thousand MT of goods can cross each other comfortably. This will reduce cost of transportation.Along the length of each canal, reservoirs shall have to be constructed on both sides of the canal at regular intervals for irrigation purposes. This will help irrigation and fish production.
Every year hundreds of people die dye to floods and thousands of crores worth of properties are wasted. The above measures will reduce the recurring problems.
River banks shall have to be strengthened after the monsoons are over. Why should River banks be strengthened during the monsoon? This is a ploy. The contractors and the state government officers pocket this money.
Unifying Ma Ganga, all lakes, waterbodies, canals and coastal sea areas - At Varanasi Ganga Aarati is performed every evening. This is a very beautiful sight. It must have entered into the Guiness Book of Records. But, half burnt human bodies are thrown in Ma Ganga. This pollutes Ma Ganga. Factories situated along the Ganga and other rivers discharge untreated effluence into the rivers.Late Rajiv Gandhi started the Ganga Action Plan; but due to corruption it failed.
While constructing these canals, we shall have to take care of all pervading corruptions in India.
While constructing these canals, we may face lot of technical problems. These have to be stopped.Panama canal connecting the Atlantic and the Pacific Oceans solve these problems.
Teesta Water Dispute Between India & Bangladesh :
This has been going on for years. It has become an election issue in Bangladesh. Water is a very scarce natural resources. Both India and Bangladesh need Water. Every year floods occue in India and Bangladesh. This can be reduced to a great extent by conserving rain water. There are forty to fifty rivers flowing between India and Bangladesh. All these rivers shall have to be jointly surveyed by Indian and Bangladeshi maritime experts during the summer, monsoon and winter months and find out how the waters of these rivers can be equally shared so that no side can complain.
The Farrakka Agreement is heavily tilted in favour of Bangladesh, and it has severely reduced the depth of Kolkata port, thereby adversely affecting the all round developments of the whole of West Bengal.
All the rivers in India and Bangladesh dry up during the summer months. Both India and Bangladesh ought to take loans from the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank at soft interest to dredge the rivers.
I am sending a copy if the blog to the honourable Prime Minister of India.
