River-Linking Concept of India Viewed from the Nepalese Perspective

The need for the transfer of water from water surplus basins to water deficit basins has drawn the attention of Indian planners from time to time. After the then Central Water and Power Commission (CWPC) prepared a note for a national water grid linking the Ganges with the Cauvery around 1972, a study was carried out by Dr KL Rao (1972) and the concept of the Garland Canal was developed by Captain Dastur (1977). The suggestion of Dr Rao was not pursued further on the grounds that the costs were grossly underestimated, the proposal required large blocks of power for lifting water and also it did not have flood control measures. Captain Dastur’s concept was also found to be technically unsound and economically prohibitive. As such this concept was also given up.