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Indian
National Perspective Plan
The
National Perspective of India
The
continued interest shown by many people gave impetus to study inter-basin
transfer proposals.
The
then Ministry of Irrigation (now Water Resources) formulated a National
Perspective for Water Development in August 1980. The broad approach adopted
in the National Perspective is as follows :
Existing uses have been kept undisturbed.
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Normal
water development under the existing legal and constitutional frame work is
assumed to take place fully by the turn of the century.
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The
perspective envisages developments within the frame-work of all the existing
agreements between or amongst the States within the country as well as
existing treaties with the neighbouring countries.
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As the
storage sites are limited on account of topographical and other resources,
the plan is based on optimum development of available storage sites
including development of new storages, big and small, wherever feasible.
Interlinking of the major rivers is envisaged.
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The
plan envisages multipurpose and multi-objective development of water
resources, namely, irrigation, flood control, hydro-power generation, and
navigation.
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Power
installations have been so envisaged that peak requirements of the regional
power grid are made to the maximum extent. These would also enable
exploitation of secondary powers during monsoon which would meet fully the
demand for lifting waters.
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While
planning inter-basin and inter-State transfer of waters, reasonable needs of
the basin States for the foreseeable future have been kept in view and
provided for.
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Most
efficient use of land and water in the existing irrigation and hydropower
stations has been kept as a principal objective to be achieved in the next
15-20 years.
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So far
as irrigation benefits are concerned, supply of water to meet the
requirements of the existing coastal irrigation areas, particularly the
deltas, such as the Godavari, Krishna, Cauvery, Mahanadi etc. has been the
major objective so that waters released thereby from the respective basins
can be used for irrigating drought stricken areas at higher contours in the
upper reaches. This will minimise energy demands.
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Water
development should have preservation and enhancement of the environment as
one of the major objectives, and provide for the funds needed for
afforestation and improvement of forests in areas nearby. Recreation,
fisheries development etc. should also be taken into account.
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Domestic and industrial uses of water as well as for irrigation should be
given high priority. Pollution control should be one of the main objectives;
and
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The
people to be displaced by project works should be given liberal facilities
for rehabilitation and resettlement so that their living conditions are
improved. It might be necessary to resettle as many of the displaced people
as possible in the areas to be benefited by the projects.
The
National Perspective Plan comprises of two components, namely :
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