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'Nothing wrong' with linking rivers

By Our Special Correspondent

CHENNAI Jan. 9. There are "many things that can go wrong" with inter-basin linking of rivers, but if carried out after taking into consideration the various factors, there was "nothing wrong" with it, the International Water Management Institute Director General, Frank R. Rijsberman, said here today.

Linking could often become a "hot potato" since environmental and community issues were involved. The question why taxpayers in one region should subsidise others in a different area could crop up. Also, while draining a particular basin there was a need to look at replenishment requirements. It was better to consider such a proposal after exhausting the possibilities of exploiting the basin in the deficient region, he said while answering a question at a public forum on `the legacy of Watson and Crick - 50 years later', organised by The Hindu Media Resource Centre for Sustainable Development and M. S. Swaminathan Research Foundation (MSSRF).

One of the key challenges now was getting more crops per drop of water. He pointed out that while crop production was looked at in terms of hectares, there was an urgent need to take into consideration the production in terms of water consumed.

The MSSRF Chairman, M. S. Swaminathan, said that the Foundation planned to organise an interaction on the subject with Suresh Prabhu, chairman of the task force on the interlinking of rivers.

The Frontline Editor, N. Ram, traced the development of genetics and said that the reported instance of human cloning raised ethical questions and one was not sure if the claim was real or a hoax.

In the view of the World Food Prize Laureate, G. S. Khush, the most important issues that needed to be addressed related to the impact of the genetically modified crops on food safety, environment impact, bio-diversity and escape of transgenes into the wild.

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