THE LOST VEDIC RIVER SARASWATI

 

REVIVAL PROBABILITIES AS VIEWED

IN

CONTEMPORARY CONTEXT AND PERSPECTIVE

IMPLEMENTATION METHODOLOGY

PROPOSALS FOR

CANAL SYSTEMS - RECHARGE MECHANISM

SOIL DESALINATION - LAND RECLAMATION etc.

 

FORWARDED TO

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

THE STATE GOVERNMENTS OF HARYANA - RAJASTHAN - GUJARAT

 

AN ALL ENCOMPASING COMPREHENSIVE OVERVIEW

BY

JAGDISH GANDHI

MARCH 2000

 

 

 

 

 

 

REVIVAL OF VEDIC SARASWATI


The Saraswati River of Vedic fame, which hosted and sustained on its banks the greatest, the earliest and the most wide-spread civilization in the ancient world, has been profusely eulogized in the Vedic literature as the mother of all civilized behaviour, of all noble impulses and as the Presiding Deity of Vidya (Knowledge and learning) and Vaak (Speech)

Therefore, if such a life – endowing and life – sustaining artery of water can be revived through the application of modem modes of technology and engineering, it then surely deserves a place, top on the list of priorities, no matter which states receive lesser benefits and which states more, as long as it brings prosperity to India as a whole in the ultimate analysis.

 

LARGEST SINGLE HERITAGE OF MANKIND


The great extent of territory in the sub-continent comprising, Saurashtra, Kachh, Rajasthan, Western Uttar Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Punjab and the whole of what is Pakistan today, once collectively hosted the world’s most expansive centres of political administration, learning, republican polity (Jana Pada), trade, commerce and agriculture through well – evolved systems of self – governance. If we can revive the Saraswati, which has fallen silent only in the stretch downstream of the lower Shivaliks but is still functional in the upper stretch of Himalayas, then we can very well recreate the grandeur of ancient India and inspire  the UNESCO to declare it as the world’s largest single surviving and functional Heritage of Mankind.

 

RESURRECTION OF A LOST LEGACY


The Saraswati resurrection will take much more than a mere ordinary vision. With the application of modern techno-oriented methodology, it is perfectly possible to revive the flow of the Saraswati through the down stream states. It would however need a trendsetting evolution of approach involving a great deal of political will.
But then, does the Vedic Saraswati still exist, even in the intermittent stretches or at the source of origin? Or is totally extinct, beyond redemption and therefore, irretrievably lost?

Yes, the Saraswati still continues to flow in full force, upstream of the Shivalik mountain range, in the upper Himalayas.

As is now well known in the science-fraternity, the river, its course having been blocked changed course, consequent upon a tactonic upheaval roughly 2000 BC, was accommodated by the Yamuna, combined with which, it even today forms the holy trinity along with Ganga and continues to live in the memory and faith of the people.

 

Salient Features:


LOSS AND/OR ACQUISITION OF LAND

No loss of arable land. No acquisition of agricultural land involved.

 

DISPLACEMENT AND REHABILITATION

No displacement of villages, people and property. Avoids all agony of problems usually associated with resettlement and rehabilitation.

 

STATUS OF WILD LIFE

No shifting of Desert Wild life in general and Ghudkhar in particular in the Rann of Kachh. Rather, it will automatically create sanctuaries for domestic Avi life, migratory birds and other forms of wild life in Rajasthan and Kachh.

 

ENVIRONMENT REQUISITES

Causes no environmental problems.  Wholly eco-environ friendly.

 

GUJARAT STATE SPECIFIC

No interstate disputes being wholly Gujarat State specific.

 

SOIL AND WATER MANAGEMENT

Aimed at soil desalination and regeneration through judicious management of soil and water resources.  Designed to arrest soil degradation.

 

WATER TRANSPORT

Conducive to the growth of water transport and surface transport by opening up new corridors to facilitate both modes of transport between Kachh – Saurashtra – N. Gujarat – Rajasthan

 

DE-DESERTIFICATION SOIL DESALINATION – WASTELAND RECLAMATION

Far from involving loss of arable land, these proposals envisage reclamation of saline land through progressive conversion into agro-productive land sheet. The benefits can accrue to down stream states through well established canal systems, re-charge mechanism and soil and water management.

 

ENCOURAGES DRIP IRRIGATION

Drip irrigation system involves judicious use of water, in preference to the ‘Blanket’ use of water which causes huge waste culminating into deficit.

 

 

PROFILE AND PERSPECTIVE
SOIL DESALINATION AND PROGRESSIVE RECLAMATION

 


In the Ganga – Yamuna Doab (the land between and around two great rivers). the Himalayan alluvial deposition has enriched the quality of soil making it the most fertile tract of land in the world.  Unlike it, the alluvial deposits within Rajasthan the Rann of Kachh and its periphery, has turned the landmass saline, which status renders it unsupportive of vegetation.


The greatest threat to cultivation in North/Northwest Rajasthan and in the Rann comes from Saline condition of all the three elements of nature viz. soil, air and water. Consequently, no effort can succeed unless these conditions are regulated.  The Rann of Kachh is not exactly a sandy desert in the sense a desert is generally understood.  Rather, it is a vast expanse of salinity infested land. Over the gone by centuries, rivers from the main land have brought and deposited enormous quantity of ‘Sandy Silt’ during the monsoon discharge. Then the tidal surge from the sea have piled up layer upon layer, alternating between sand and salt, and also an admixture of them for countless centuries.   

 

These proposals envisage progressive reclamation of saline land. It discourages any idea to bring, in one stroke, large tracts of saline land under cultivation through irrigation in one sweep, primarily due to inadequate volume of available water and secondly, due to the fact that salinity takes time to recede. “Progressive Reclamation” is what desert – dominance countries like Israel and Libya have opted for their land development projects, whereby a certain acreage of saline /desert land is brought under irrigation progressively from year to year depending on availability of fresh water. 

 

SUBTERRANEAN WATER RESOURCES

The depletion of underground water is caused by excessive withdrawal supported by mechanical devices in absence of a prudent and judicious policy governing underground water management. These conditions of depleted underground water resources prevail all over the Rajasthans the peripheral areas of Rann of Kachh, within mainland Kachh, in N. Gujarat etc. 


Consequently any volume of water released from monsoon clouds or from dams/reservoirs fails to travel long distances as it percolates and disappears even before it reaches its destination. As there is not enough volume of water available to recharge the parched lands the underground water level drops further down and that level sinks to such depths that it instantaneously absorbs any quantity of water charged on the surface. Thus, this ominous cycle continues unabated, leaving little water for agriculture and people.

 

UNDERGROUND WATER RESOURCES TO BE USED ONLY IF RECHARGEABLE

We must differentiate between an underground ‘FLOW’ on one hand and an underground ‘RESERVOIR’ on the other. It is true that Rajasthan possesses a huge corpus of water under its landmass, most of which once bequeathed by the Saraswati system. However, it will be wrong to presume that this is a ‘FLOW’.

 

In Punjab and Haryana an overwhelming 70 percent of agriculture fields are irrigated by pumping out underground water.  These wells and tube ells, however, get promptly recharged, replenished by underground water movements, through natural equi – volume displacement process as these states lie at the foot of the Himalayas. Comparatively Rajasthan is less fortunate. Nevertheless, the Rajasthan canal (or Indira Gandhi canal) fed by the Bhakra reservoir on the perennial Satlaj has now reached upto Jaisalmar, which puts Rajasthan in a position of strength whereby it can manage to recharge its depleted underground water levels.


The scenario on the subterranean waterfront is altogether different in Gujarat. Whatever underground water that had accumulated over millions of years under Gujarat landmass, has been almost used up through capricious and imprudent exploitation in absence of comprehensive soil and water management policy. To compound the matter further, Gujarat possesses no perennial sources of water to recharge the displaced quantity of water.  This has resulted in a progressive decline and almost total depletion of underground water resources.

 

NO EXPLOITATION OF SUBTERRANEAN RESOURCES WITHOUT ESTABLISHING RECHARGE MECHANISM

In any case, any corpus of water which is ‘STILL’ and not ‘FLOWING TO REPLENISH’ will be ill –advised to be withdrawn as thereby, we will only get trapped in a cyclic and recurring ‘water – starved’ situation which has already become endemic in relation to Gujarat and Rajasthan. We must therefore resist the temptation of gaining quick retuns by squeezing dry the yet living under ground streams (aquifers) and water resources, whether ‘STILL’ or ‘FLOWING’ until a comprehensive, all encompassing RECHARGE MECHANISM is put in place.  However, if we still persist in utter disregard of the writing on the wall, it will be the end of the road for us, with no hopes of redemption in sight.  We must therefore evolve a long term, comprehensive and integrated water management system that thinks in terms of creating new water sources on the ground rather than exploit and use up all the available resources underground.


DRIP IRRIGATION

Subterranean stream (aquifers) run every where, not merely in Rajasthan, Kachh, Saurashtra and North Gujarat, but also in every region of India, Central Asia, deserts of Gobi and Sahara, sub – Sahara Africa et al. If this source of water is to be used for the benefit of people, it should be exclusively used for agriculture purpose and that too only by way of Drip Irrigation, whereby every drop of the last remaining outpost of subterranean water source is put to purposeful and productive application.  If wasteful electrical pumping devices are used, we will lose more water through evaporation and wasteful dispensation and ultimately end up bringing the subterranean water table to disastrously low level. 

 

CLOUDBURST AS SOURCE OF WATER

We have perhaps never even thought of cloudburst as a potent source of water, let alone harness it.  Our greatest source of water, the Monsoon, has a pre-set cyclic pattern of appearance.  Cloudburst, on the other hand, is an erratic, elusive phenomenon, not conforming to any predictable pattern.  And yet, every year, it does suddenly appear, some day some where, during the course of the monsoon, or before or after, as the Divine may wish.  Then, the volume of water unleashed over the area of influence during the one – time downpour often far exceeds the quantity released over the same area during the entire monsoon.  In this regard, this author has identified the following tracts in Haryana, Rajasthan and Gujarat over which, from time to time and place to place of Heaven’s choice, the cloudburst does occur.

 

 

Regions

Rivers charged

1.

Shivaliks

Markand – Dagri – Sursuti (Saraswati) etc.

2.

Jodhpur – Pali -  Jalore

Luni – Banas Tract

3.

Palanpur – Mehsana – Sidhapur Tract

Banas – Saraswati – Rupen

4.

Kachh

Local Streams

 

However, when the cloudburst does occur, we have no mechanism ready to trap and impound the released water downstream.  In this regard, the proposals which are suggested by this author for little Rann of Kachh can form part of that mechanism,  if implemented.

 

IMPLEMENTATION MECHANISM 

As the author has traversed the entire course of Saraswati, from its glacial origin in the Himalaya, through Haryana, Rajasthan, Rann of Kachh to its discharge point in the Gulf of Kambat via Nal Sarovar and Lothal, it would be beneficial to share the experience with the scientific fraternity for the benefit of water – starved land and the people. Given below are the alternative imperatives of distributive canal sytems.


IMPLEMENTATION – I


THE YAMUNA AND ITS CANAL NETWORK:


The Yamuna arrives at East of Yamunanagar (Haryana Plate: 2 Photograph: 3) after its descent from the Paonta Doon (Himachal Pradesh – Uttarakhand).  Soon after Yamuna flows past Paonta Saheb and Kalesar, the West Bank Yamuna Canal takes off from Tajewala which rushes past Yamunanagar for its ownward journey to Delhi via Karnal and Panipat to rejoin the mainstream Yamuna at Delhi. (See Video)

However, once beyond West of Karnal, the WBYC bifurcates at Munak and further ramifies into various branches viz. Hansi Branch, Sundar Branch, Bhiwani Branch, Rohtak Branch, Jhajar Branch etc. (See Video)

Of these branches, the Sirsa Branch and the Hansi Branch, alongwith the parent Western Yamuna Canal, virtually recreates the ancient flow of the Vedic Drishdvati River and Paleo Yamuna River, both of which vanished either at a time or progressively disappeared from time to time, about 2000 BC and later.  The entire course of Western Yamuna Canal from its origin at Tajewala to Hissar and beyond (via Yamunanagar – Indri –Safidon – Jind – Hansi – Hissar) is almost congruously super imposed on the palaeo channel of, (in the Yamunanagar – Jind Segment) of the early phase palaeo Yamuna; and (in the Jind – Hansi – Hissar segment) of the Vedic Drishadvati, which was one of the two anchor rivers supporting Saraswati, the other river being the Satlej (Shaturdri).

For the purpose of the alternative – III, it should suffice to suggest that we have about five discharge points, three at least, from where supplied can be drawn and taken south-west upto Rann of Kachh. These points are as follows:

  1. Hisar – Hansi Section (Hansi Branch)
  2. Jamalpur -  Jitha Kheri Section (Sundar Branch)
  3. Bhiwani Point (Bhiwani Branch)
  4. Rohtak Point (Rohtak Branch)
  5. Jhajar Point (Jhajar Branch)             

    
Thus, if the proposed canal for Kachh takes off from Hansi, the suggested route is as follows:

    1. Hansi (Haryana) – West of Jhunjunu – Didwana – Bhopalgarh – West of Jodhpur – Panchpadra (all Rajasthan). A little beyond Panchpadra, this canal can be discharged into the channel of Luni River to be carried into Rann of Kachh.  In this suggested lay-out, two branches viz. Sundar Branch and Bhiwani Branch can serves as  effective contributories through a little extension. 
    2. Alternatively, and/or additionally, let us think of yet another route Rohtak (Haryana) being the take off point from Rohtak Branch, the canal will travel to Charkhi Dadri (Haryana) – Khetri (Rajasthan) – Sikar – West of Parvatisar – Alniawas – into the channel of Luni River near Alniawas.
    3. Alternatively, the canal can be taken from Sikar to Merta via Degan and again put into Luni further down South West of Merta.

Both these lay-out will at once revive the ephemeral Luni and take the Yamuna waters to the parched soil of Rajasthan and Kachh (Gujarat) through shortest possible distance from its take-off point at Rohtak. In this case, Bhiwani Branch and Jhajar Branch can serve as strong contributories.

The various sources of water on the Yamuna to draw from are as under:

  1. Tajewala Headwaters Barrrage on Yamuna.
  2. The Asan Barrage on Asan River at Paonta Saheb on Haryana – Uttaranchal border.
  3. Dak Pathar Barrrage on Yamuna at Dak Pathar in Uttaranchal.
  4. The Dam across Yamuna at Lohara, about 40 kms. Upstream from Dak Pathar, which is presently under constructions.
  5. The Tons River Headwaters at Dak Pathar. The Tons (Tamsa) is a major tributary of Yamuna which runs into Yamuna 2 kms upstream from Dak Pathar and carries larger volume of water than the mainstream Yamuna itself.

Moreover, both the parallel sister streams viz. Yamuna and Tons offer multiple number of sites upstream of Dak Pathar for creating storage facilities.  If implemented, there will be no scope left for any quarrel between the downstream States, besides obviating the imaginary necessity of having the Sharada intervention to augment the Yamunas’s volume of flow.

 

IMPLEMENTATION – II


INDIRA GANDHI CANAL (RAJASTHAN CANAL) EXTENSION OF

The Indira Gandhi Canal is a part of comprehensive canal network of irrigation system, emanating from the Bhakara – Nangal (Govind Sagar) reservoir on the swift flowing Satlej River, the Vedic Shatadru or Shatudri.


The system ramifies into various branches, viz. Abohar Branch, Bhatinda Branch, Kotla Branch along with the main Branch, all taking off from the principal loop contour of Patiala Branch


The IGC, as it flows across the Rampur – Hanumangarh highway in Rajasthan, registers a flow capacity of 6700 cusecs. Beyond this point, it flows past Kanur, Kharbara, Chhattargarh, Chinnu and finally arrives at Ramgarh in full flow without betraying any sign of fatigue or exhaustion. At Ramgarh, the canal terminates.

 

It is therefore proposed that:
1.      The IGC be extended beyond Ramgarh upto Lodurva (which lies South – West of Jaisalmer and sits on the Bank of one of the palaeo channels of the lost Vedic Saraswati). From Lodurva, the IGC can flow past Chautan and Bakhasar into the Rann of Kachh, to be impounded therein.

Canal route: Ramgarh – Lodurva – Chautan – Bakhasar – Rann of Kachh


2.      Alternatively, the following route can be taken.
Chinuu – West of Pokaran – West of Barmer – Chautan – Bhakhsar – Rann of Kachh

 

 

OPTIONAL IMPLEMENTATION III


These photographs (Plate: 1) are of Ghaggar River, along with its diverse channels. Though presently reduced to being only a monsoon stream, it carries enormous volume of water that flows down the Shivalik range into the plains of Haryana, Punjab, Rajasthan and onwards into Pakistan during the monsoon.  The Ghaggar is reinforced by contribution from Sursuti,  Dagri and Markand which too are Shivalik drains.

During the course and various stages of monsoon, these channels carry huge quantity of water, anywhere between 50,000 cusec to 1,50,000 cusec depending on the quantum of downpour on and  around the Shivaliks.

The collective quantity of run-off that rolls into Pakistan (other than the river waters signed away in favour of Pakitstan consequent upon the Partition) from India’s landmass is huge enough to recharge thousands of heactres of our soil. Pakistan is already reaping the fruits (which we do not ……)in terms of electrical power and agricultural wealth, all generated from water supply originating from Indian sources through vast water mass it receives from Jhelum, Ravi, Chenab and Bias, all of which eventually run into the mighty Sindhu, under the water distribution treaty at the time of Partition, with the exception of Satlej water. Why then make Pakistan the beneficiary of monsoon water too, even as our own soil remains divested of its rightful due?


Thus, any blueprint of comprehensive water management vis vis the Ghaggar should envisage the construction of a South Rajasthan bound diversion canal that captures the monsoon flow (including occasional cloudburst) of Ghaggar system collection. At least this monsoon run-off can be utilized to re-charge our own soil rather than to re-charge Pakisthan soil.

 

IT IS THEREFORE SUGGESTED THAT:

  1. Such a diversion canal can take off from somewhere near Hanumangarh in Rajasthan from where it can go past Lukransar  - East of Bikaner – West of Osiyan – West of Panchpadra for discharge into the channel of downstream Luni. (Shown as C and D in plate  No. 3)
  2. Hanumangarh – Lukransar – West of Shri Kolayat – West of Pokaran – West of Badmer – Chautan – into Rann of Kachh via Bakhasar. (plate 3 C and D)
  3. As may be found more workable from engineering and geographical incline point of view.

CANAL LOOP/CONTOUR MECHANISM CAN ENSURE CONSISTENT WATER SUPPLY AT TAKE OFF POINT  

As has been stated here the Abohar Branch, Bhatinda Branch, Kotla Branch etc. (all in Punjab) have their take-off points on the Patiala Branch Loop (Plate: 4). Similarly, a Loop Canal can be laid to inter link Sirsa Branch, Hansi Branch, Sundar Branch, Rohtak Branch and Jhajar Branch ( all in Haryana) which  have been drawn from Yamuna River (Plate: 4). This arrangement can ensure uninterrupted supply of water to canals taking their supplies at various take-off points for onward journey to Kachh.
Thus, in strict practical sense, the canal extension network, as proposed in the foregoing and shown on Plate: 3, would in future be designed to carry the following river waters: (Refer to Plate: 3).

  1. Alternative (A) and (V): These extension canals will carry Satlej River waters drawn from Indira Gandhi canal (Rajasthan canal). River Satlej was a strong contributory (at Shatrana in Punjab) of Vedic Saraswati during the  times when the latter was functional.
  2. Alternatives (C) and (D) : These diversion canals will carry the monsoon-run off from Ghaggar River, the take-off point being Suratgarh – Hamumangarh, which is precieved to be the modern version of the lost Vedic Saraswati River.  The Ghaggar carries  enormous volume of water during the monsoon flowing down from the Shivalik range through the dry and abandoned channel of what is perceived to  be the palaeo___ channel of Vedic Saraswati.
  3. Alternatives (E), (F) – (G), (H): These extension canals are drawn from the Main West Bank Yamuna Canal, at respective terminal points, joined in a contour loop, which on its part, is drawn from mainstream Yamuna. Since palaeo Yamuna too was a contributory [in the form of Drshadwati), of Vedic Saraswati (at suratgarh), the latter was only a consequent river, the end product of a combined strength of and Drishadwati (probably, the paleo Yamuna).

ESTABLISH HOLD-AREA IN RANN OF KACHH ALONGSIDE N. GUJARAT COASTLINE TO CREATE RESERVOIR BY IMPOUNDING SATLEJ-YAMUNA (PROPOSED) INFLOW.

The overall picture of the canal layout will look as shown in video above, all the canals emptying their contents in the Rann of Kachh, at the tri-junction of SE Pakistan, SW Rajasthan, N.Gujrat. At this point, the volume of water discharged should be impounded as shown in Plate No. 7 along the coast of N. Gujarat, so as to create a longish North – South reservoir abutting N. Gujarat coast line.  The management of this reservoir so created envisage the following.

  1. This North South Hold Area should be so designed as to impound and hold, not only the canal waters that flow-in through Rajasthan, but also the monsoon flow, alongwith the land run-off from the catchment areas of Luni, Banas, Saraswati (Sidhpur-Patan) and Rupen along the North Coast and Brahmani, Godadhari, Phoolzar etc. from N. Sarashtra coast. These are all ephemeral rivers and it should be noted that their monsoon run-off, whatever, is totally wasted presently, always  and invariably, as the discharge finally disappears into the Rann of Kachh, not a drop of which is utilized.
  2. From this Hold-Area, water can be carried through gravity, into mainland Kachh by a duct, a canal in preference to a pipe line. The eathern embarkments of such a canal should be wide enough to permit vehicular movement. This will facilitate direct access to Kachh from Tharad Segment of N. Gujarat, besides being conducive to faster Military Deployment of men and material.
  3. During every monsoon of any intensity, the Rann sustains anywhere between six inches to five feet of monsoon water, the deepest accumulation being  along the Patadi – Zinzuwada – Suigam Coast. And that is the coast-line along which the meager monsoon flow, whatever volume, of Luni, Banas, Saraswati, Rupen etc. accumulates.  Thus, the entire North-South strip of North Gujarat coast suits well for being a Hold Area.
  4. The suggested reservoir should be used as  launching pad for soil desalination through progressive reclamation concept, as has been effectively demonstrated by Israel. The concept envisages reclamation of soil by advancing one km. to three kms. every year depending on availability of water. It recognizes that infusion of water is the only effective anti-dote to salinity and to all the problems flowing from salinity.

VEDIC SARASWATI CAN NOT BE RESURRECTED IN ITS ORIGINAL FORM: MUST GO FOR A COMPREHENSIVE ALTERNATIVE MODEL PLAN.

It is true Saraswati was the sheet-anchor of India’s civilization. She was the mother of all civilized behaviour and of our cultural ethos. There is no denying the factum of its existence. The satellite imageries, the presence of over 1600 archaeologically important urban centres  on and around its paleo-channels, confirm its arterial existence.

Given the compulsions of contemporary times, there is no way the original course of Vedic Saraswati can be recreated, our very strong emotional attachment to the lost legacy notwithstanding.  There are geographical and political compulsions aided by interplay of time and space as we discover to our dismay that much of the original course of Saraswati flowed, once upon a time, through wat is Pakistan today. Besides, within our own landmass an exhaustive canal network  has come up in response to the needs of the local land and the people inhabiting it.   Consequently,  many canals which have been laid within the Delhi-Rohtak – Hisar – sirsa – Suratagarh –  Jullundar arc, are either running congruously superimposed on the paleo channels of lost and dessicated rivers or are criss-crossing these abandoned channels many times at many places. Besides, the Vedic Saraswati in fact was a consequent river reinforced and sustained by two powerful contributories viz. the Shatadru (the then avtar of today’s Satlej) running into it from North at near shatrana in Punjab, the other river being the Drishadvati flowing into saraswati at Sirsa/ hanumangarh/suratgarh segment in Rajasthan from the South Bank. Of these two contributories, Satlej is very much functional today and is vividly mentifested thr4ough various canals irrigation Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan. Drishadvati of Vedic fame, vanished many millennia ago but still exists more or less in the form of Sirsa branch of western Yamuna canal which also more or less  pursues the Paleo Yamuna channels.  Thus, much of ancient Saraswati, if not entirely, does exist today in the form of extensive network of canals spread between Satlej and Yamuna doab.

 

WATER DISTRIBUTION AMONG VARIOUS STATES GOVERNED BY VARIOUS CONVENTIONS, TREATIES, LEGISLATIONS, ACTS OF PARLIAMENT.

As is fully known, distribution of water from available resources for benefit of various States like Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, U.P. etc. is governed by the Satlej and Yamuna water distribution conventions, as the case may be. In this respect, the following pertinent points may kindly be noted:

  1. These conventions whatever were formulated post – independence in context of the situation prevailing then in relation to the socio-economic and politico-geographic conditions which may not have much relevance today.
  2. And situations do change. It also brings in its wake change in pattern of thinking and perceptions.  With the passage of time, treaties and conventions change, so do the thrust,  direction and emphasis.

3.           As we all know, Oil and Gas produced on Gujarat Soil and  Seaboard, do go to Jagdishpur from Hazira and to Mathura from Kandla. Soon an oil pipeline from Mundra (Kachh) to Bhatinda (Punjab) will follow. The Narmada canal, originating from Sardar sarovar in Gujarat, is surely destined to carry waters to the dry tracts of Rajasthan. And why not? All natural resources, no matter in which State they are available, are nation’s property meant for national consumption.  And the philosophy of resource transfer, from plenty – states to scarcity – states, is an in-built ingredient of the concept of our nationhood.


4.          Whose water it is anyway? Whose oil and gas it is anyway? Anyway we may look at it, it is natures endowment to be held in trust by the State. And that is precisely the reason that they must be used for the benefit of the nation.  Therefore, with specific  reference to water management and distribution, we must identify the deficient States/ areas, review and formulate  policies that truly address the problem in  right earnest with long term national perspective in mind.
Thus, the Satlej – Yamuna ( Palaeo Drishadvat) waters (Saraswati being the consequent river of the aggregate of the first two),should be preconceived a natures endowment to the nation with which to address.

The problems  of salinity, irrigation, land reclamation, soil-desalination and recharge mechanism. It must be realized that infusion of massive quantity of water from any perennial source is the only way out if we were to seriously  tackle water crisis which has already become endemic.

 

And before I conclude, let me pay my obeisance to saraswati, the presiding deity of our cultural ethos.

Saraswati, thou art the greatest of all mothers, of all rivers, of all divinities; Kindly endow us with pure, unadulterated wealth – (in the form of water and food grains) Rig Ved.

 

Water is universe, its past and present.  All forms of life and living organisms are water – permeated. All vegetation is water.  Water is Nector of life. Mahanarayan Upnishad.