At a recent seminar organised by the National Commission for Integrated Water Resources Development Plan on 'water resources ......policy and issues', one was amazed at some major misconceptions that continue to plague the minds of our senior managers in the water sector. For one, they do not understand the most important role of rivers, that of re-charging ground water, which incidentally is the best storage of water, immune from evaporation and other adverse effects. When one pointed to the recent path breaking research on the subject by Dr. W.Z. Zhang of the Wuhan university of China, who in an important research paper [published in the Journal of Hydrology No. 133/92, Amsterdam], has given details of the direct relationship that exists between the water level of a river and that of the recharge process of its underground aquitards and aquifers, there was hardly any reaction. One also discovered that our specialists hardly attach any importance to rivers maintaining lakes and surface wetlands, along with their rich bio-diversity (flora & fauna), and the rivers' support to various types of human activities, viz fishing, navigation, tourism and religious bathing etc. When this was pointed out, one worthy 'Director' gleefully countered that there was also reverse recharge of drying streams from the ground water, thereby giving them water. Alas, this is very true; but should a mother be drawing on the life-blood of its children, the creatures of the riparian districts, for her survival? Despite this pitiful process, however, dozens of rivers go totally dry for some nine months of the lean seasons and many streams have ceased to exist!

Effects of Multipurpose Projects

It has often been said that it was because of our multi-purpose canal irrigation projects that the 'Green Revolution', and the consequent self-sufficiency in food was made possible. However, writing in the reputed work, `Indian Economy Since Independence' Mr. B. Sivaraman, an erstwhile Vice Chairman of the Agriculture Commission, has pointed out that the famous Irrigation Commission of 1972 found that " ... if the benefit from the government surface irrigation scheme is one unit, the benefit from a government ground water scheme is two units and that from a private irrigation scheme - five units". He has also pointed to some of the inadequacies of the major and medium irrigation works (involving dams, barrages and canals) pertaining to siltation, their poor maintenance and the inadequate system of water distribution, which being state managed, is often rife with corruption. The government ground water schemes, located on or close to river-beds, pump water from the source of aquifers, reducing the recharge process, whilst those located close to the command areas present fewer distribution problems than canals, but management by officials retains the handicaps of the major surface irrigation schemes. Private tubewells are more cost-effective irrigation schemes, but of late, the diversion of river waters in canals is leading to lack of ground water recharge and much lowering of the water table, thereby increasing the capital and operational cost of farmers' investment in these schemes.