What to Read in The Hindu Editorial( Topic and Syllabus wise)

Editorial 1: River interlinking, the fount of environmental disaster

Context

The political class must note that the lofty idea of interlinking rivers overlooks the huge environmental costs and the eventual deaths of rivers and deltaic regions.

 

Introduction

On December 25, 2024, Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone for the Ken-Betwa River Link Project, which aims to solve the water scarcity in the Bundelkhand region that covers parts of Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh. The project also includes the construction of a dam located within the Panna Tiger Reserve, raising concerns about its submergence. Upon completion, this project will link the supposed water surplus Ken river with the Betwa in drought-stricken Bundelkhand — an area that had 58% forest cover in 1938.

 

A misplaced model

• Costs around ₹45,000 crore
• Launched despite the objections raised by experts, including members of an empowered committee appointed by the Supreme Court of India
• Circumventing the law that has strict terms for allowing hydroelectric power project
• Models of grandiose technological fixes as the solution to all water-related problems have gathered momentum
• Politicians are now touting the concept of river interlinking for inter-basin water transfers as a geoengineering solution to continued water depletion in India

 

Concept of Inter-basin Transfer

• Proposed 130 years ago by Sir Arthur Cotton, who designed irrigation dams in the Godavari and Krishna river valleys
• M. Visvesvaraya, an early icon among Indian engineers, further refined this idea
• K.L. Rao and Captain Dinshaw J. Dastur expanded the scope of this concept in 1970 and 1980
• Initially termed the ‘National Water Grid’
• The concept re-emerged as the ‘River-Interlinking Project’ (ILR) from the Ministry of Water Resources to transfer surplus waters from the Ganga and the Brahmaputra to water-deficient regions in central and southern India

 

National Water Development Agency (NWDA)

• Established in 1982 to conduct surveys and investigations, and to prepare feasibility reports for links under the National Perspective Plan
• The NWDA identified 30 links for feasibility studies, divided into 14 Himalayan and 16 Peninsular river links
• These links are anticipated to alleviate the impacts of floods and droughts, boost income in rural areas, and address water distress in agriculture
• Estimated costs: ₹5.5 lakh crore
• Does not include the social, environmental, and operational costs
• Ultimately, all this will end up as taxes on the common man

 

Environmental Concerns

• The lofty idea of interlinking rivers to connect surplus rivers of the country with the deficient rivers is fundamentally flawed as it overlooks the huge environmental costs and the eventual deaths of the rivers and deltaic regions
• The uncontrolled human-induced disequilibrium in natural hydrographic systems will destroy associated ecological niches with incalculable repercussions for the long-term well-being of society — an unpardonable disservice to future generations

 

Climate Change Considerations

• We may also have to factor in the consequences of climate change impacting rainfall and river flow, which will aggravate the situation
• It is unclear how the nation’s declared commitment to mitigating human-induced climate change and river manipulation go hand in hand

 

The eco-services of rivers

• Ignoring the Reality: Policymakers ignore the point that there is no “free” surplus water in any river
• Misleading Rationalizations: Simple elementary arithmetic rationalizations such as tapping the ‘water lost to sea’ do not consider the eco-hydrological dimensions of the issue
• Lack of Understanding: Supporters of these projects and politicians do not understand or deliberately ignore viewing the river as part of the drainage basin with constitutive ecological niches, which includes its final destination of deltaic plains, interfacing with the sea
• Flushing Silt: The eco-services of free-flowing rivers include the flushing of silt from riverbeds to the coastal waters to form deltas
• Flood Water: Flood water is not to be rationalized as ‘surplus’; it needs to be seen as the carrier of minerals for land fertility, groundwater recharge, and sustenance of biodiversity, which helps the livelihood of millions of marginalized people

 

Impact of Water Diversion on Deltaic Regions

• Starved of Water: By diverting river water, deltaic regions are starved of water that could have helped balance saltwater from the sea
• Ecosystem Suffering: The deltaic ecosystem will suffer from this change
• Lessons from the Indus Delta
  1. Indus Delta: The Indus Delta offers a crucial lesson
  2. Impact of Barrages: Alice Albinia, in her book, Empires of the Indus: The Story of a River (2008), narrates how a delta system at the mouth of the Indus became impoverished when the British started barrage construction, which Pakistan continued after 1947
  3. Narmada River: The state of the downstream parts of the Narmada since the completion of the Sardar Sarovar dam is a modern example in the making

 

Global Examples of River Channelisation

• Kissimmee River: The channelization of the Kissimmee River in Florida, authorized by the U.S. Congress in 1954 to mitigate flooding, is an environmental disaster, resulting in the loss of wetlands
• Aral Sea: The current state of the Aral Sea is another example of how geoengineering projects destroy natural systems. The lake has now become a desert after the rivers that sustained it were diverted by irrigation projects implemented during the heady days of the Soviet Union

 

The real reasons for India’s water crisis

 

National Water Policy Recommendations

• Holistic approach: A national water policy should embrace a holistic approach to watershed management
• Local citizen Involvement: Involving local citizens in monitoring the hydrological cycle and working alongside hydrologists, engineers, and biologists
• Aquifer management: The policy must incorporate effective aquifer management through the regulation of water usage
• Farmer engagement: Farmers should be engaged to help devise strategies for efficient irrigation water usage
• Wastewater management: The government has limited control over wastewater management and should create innovative reuse programmes
• Comprehensive study: A comprehensive study involving interdisciplinary expertise on river basins is essential before initiating significant water transfer projects

 

International Example: Israel’s Success

• Drip irrigation: In the book Let There Be Water: Israel’s Solution for a Water-Starved World, Seth M. Siegel notes that Israel’s drip irrigation programmes save 25%-75% of pumped water
• Modernisation of irrigation: Israel’s success story in water resource management lies in modernising irrigation techniques
• Reduction in water usage: These techniques compel farmers to use less water, fertilisers, and pesticides, maintaining aquifer health at an optimum level
• Incorporation of Vernacular Practices: Along with modern interventions, we must incorporate elements of vernacular practices in watershed management strategies

 

Conclusion

Despite the current ruling regime’s emphasis on ‘Hindutva’ and embedded Hindu belief system that extols the deityship of Indian rivers, the river interlinking project stands out as a stark contrast to such an ideology. Manipulated by dams that are in excess, mauled by human and industrial waste, and commodified for religious marketing, India’s rivers are under existential threat. Who will save them?

 

Editorial 2 : The right to food and the struggle with the PDS

Context

Bureaucratic hurdles are a reason why a substantial number of households have found themselves removed from PDS rolls in parts of north, central and east India.

 

Introduction

In 2023, there was a report discussing the right to food in the context of Jharkhand. Similarly, a few days ago, there was another report that was in the context of Odisha. These reports highlighted something alarming — that a substantial number of households have been removed from the rolls of the Public Distribution System (PDS). This disturbing situation is not limited to Jharkhand and Odisha. Bihar, another State in the east-central region, has its own PDS tragedy.

 

The example of the Musahar community

• Ration shortage: Bihar was blighted by a supply crisis when rations were needed the most during the COVID-19 pandemic
• Ongoing Crisis: Since then, there are communities that continue to be in want of a stable supply of ration, particularly among extremely marginalized communities such as the Musahars
• Caste politics impact: The Musahar community has been pushed beyond the edge of destitution by the socio-politics of caste, and their struggle with the PDS (Public Distribution System) is a significant symptom of this issue

 

Issues with Ration Cards

• No active Ration Cards: A number of Musahar households in Patna district do not have an active ration card
• Incomplete Ration Cards: Even when they do have a ration card, there is another issue — the card does not have the names of all the family members
• Biometric verification problems: Several people lost access to their monthly ration supply ever since biometric verification was made mandatory at fair price shops (FPS)
• Struck off names: In such cases, individuals are forced to get a new ration card as their names have been struck off the PDS rolls after verification
• Smart city marketing: The ruling dispensation’s over-the-top marketing of ‘smart cities’ highlights the disconnect between the government and the people most in need of state welfare

 

Corruption within the PDS

• Corruption: Problems with the PDS are not limited to enrolment and access; there is a flow of corruption within the system
• Food Grain Issues: Households enrolled in the PDS have reported that FPS dealers are only releasing four kilograms of food grain per person, even though a BPL household with a Priority Household (PHH) ration card is entitled to five kilograms per person
• Quality of Rice: The four kilograms of grain issued is rice, and it is the lowest quality of ‘Usna’ rice
• No Wheat: No wheat is issued to these households

 

Documentation that has no legal basis

• Application Methods: The Government of Bihar offers two options for citizens to file a ration card application:
  1. Paper-based application requires Aadhaar details of the applicant and their family members
  2. Online application through the e-PDS portal requires additional documents like caste certificate, income certificate, and residence certificate
• Demand for Documents: Even when the first method is used, officials eventually demand these additional certificates

 

Document Requirements in Other States

• Jharkhand: Also demands similar documents for PDS enrolment
• Uttar Pradesh: Makes it mandatory to provide an income certificate
• Madhya Pradesh: Requires the submission of proof of residence

 

Legal Basis for Document Requirements

• No Legal Basis: The requirement for such documents has no legal basis
  1. National Food Security Act (NFSA) of 2013 does not mention such requirements
  2. PDS control order of 2015 does not explicate the need for these documents
• Confirmation from Officials: An officer from the Food and Consumer Protection Department in Bihar confirmed that the demand for these certificates is an oversight in the online system
• E-Governance Disconnect: In the race towards digitisation and e-governance, governments have shed all conception of governance and citizen welfare

 

The issue of exploitation

• Awareness of systemic flaws: The government is fully aware of its systemic flaws but has made no attempt at systemic change
• Official indifference: People continue to be crushed under the weight of official indifference.

 

Creation of a Market of Exploitation

• Exploitation market: The government's hubris of power has created the perfect conditions for the emergence of a market of exploitation
• Musahar Community’s struggle: Most people, especially in the Musahar community, who seek PDS benefits neither have the resources nor the knowledge to interact with online processes
• Middlemen exploitation: Middlemen aggressively exploit this situation by charging over ₹3,000 to have a ration card made
  1. Within this market, it is not uncommon for the document to not be issued or for the middleman to be untraceable after payment

 

Application Process and Delays

• No guarantee of issuance: Even if people are able to file their application, there is no guarantee they will get their ration card
• Delayed applications: While the 2015 order states that a ration card should be issued within 30 days of the application being filed, some applications have been pending for four to 18 months
• Basic subsistence: These applications are not for extra entitlements but for the basic means of subsistence

 

Conclusion

It has been 24 years since the right to food was recognised as a fundamental right in the case, People’s Union of Civil Liberties vs Union of India. Since then, governments have wound bureaucratic red tape around it so tightly that it is choking the very people it was meant for.