India’s river interlinks may create invasive species ‘highways’, Pg13

Key Highlights:

• The National River-Linking Project (NRLP) is an ambitious initiative to connect 37 major river basins in India, aiming to redistribute 174 billion cubic metres of water and generate 34,000 MW of power.
• Researchers from the Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment (ATREE) have identified a significant risk: the project could create "ecological highways" for invasive alien species.
• Their findings, published in Scientific Reports, indicate that river links could threaten endemic species by allowing invasive species to spread to new, ecologically sensitive areas.
• Northeast and peninsular Indian basins, including the Southwestern Ghats, Kaveri, Krishna, Lower Ganga, and Brahmaputra, are particularly vulnerable to these biological invasions.

Detailed Insights:

• The National River-Linking Project involves transferring water from 'surplus' to 'deficit' basins, a concept that may not account for seasonal and annual variations in river flows.
• Inter-basin water transfer can significantly alter downstream flows, sediment transport, floodplains, deltas, and the habitats dependent on them.
• Dams, reservoirs, and canals associated with the project can fragment ecosystems and disrupt crucial ecological processes like fish migration.
• Many native species in India's isolated river basins are endemic and may not be able to compete with newly introduced invasive alien species.
• The Lower Ganga basin, which already hosts 13-15 invasive species, could become a source for the Mahanadi basin, home to 69 threatened species.
• Water connections could also facilitate the spread of aquatic pathogens, potentially harming species in new basins that lack natural immunity.
• Reduced downstream water flow, as highlighted by the potential impact of the Ken-Betwa link, can severely affect biodiversity and lead to the extinction of endemic species.
• India currently lacks a robust policy framework to regulate, manage, and control invasive alien species, a gap that developed economies have addressed.
• Holistic infrastructure planning for such large-scale projects must integrate evidence-based management of river basins, considering ecological impact, biodiversity, and local livelihoods.

Key Concepts Involved:

• National River-Linking Project (NRLP): A large-scale infrastructure project in India designed to connect major rivers for water transfer and power generation.
• Invasive Alien Species: Non-native species whose introduction causes or is likely to cause economic or environmental harm or harm to human health.
• Biodiversity Hotspots: Biogeographic regions with significant levels of biodiversity that are threatened by human habitation.
• Ecological Highways: Pathways created by human infrastructure, such as river interlinks, that facilitate the movement and spread of species to new areas.