Kochi: The floods that devastated Kerala in 2018 highlights the crying need for a different approach and development paradigm based on respect for finitude, interconnectedness and diversity, says Mihir Shah, economist and a former member of the Planning Commission.
Delivering the first Sujata Devi Memorial Lecture titled Rhythm of Life in Kochi on Sunday, Dr Shah dwelt at length on the water crisis facing the state as well as the country.
Blaming the development paradigm for the present crisis, he explained how to overcome the situation by chartering a different approach.
Terming the project of interlinking of rivers as an example of policymakers device projects without respecting the finitude Dr Shah said the project, linking Himalayan Rivers with Peninsular Rivers if implemented, will disrupt the inte-grity of the Indian Mon-soon system.
The freshwater flow from rivers to the sea plays a crucial role in warming the sea waters for the formation of the low-pressure systems triggering the monsoon waves.
Detailing the role of interconnectedness, he emphasised on the importance of preserving the catchment areas to stop depleting water tables and drying out rivers.
India is credited with the highest levels of gro-undwater consumption in the world, he said and added that the unbridled exploitation of groundwater is posing a significant challenge to the river basin systems in the country.
According to him, the rampant extraction of groundwater has led to the shrinking of river water resulting in rivers losing the water, which is especially true of rivers depending on rainwater for their recharging. In the earlier days, rivers used to gain from groundwater resources.
Referring to the floods and water crisis facing Kerala Dr Shah spoke in detail about the importance of the ecological diversity of the Western Ghats for its survival. It was the result of the development paradigm based on levelling off the midland hills, hillocks, destructive sand mining, accumulation of silts and blockage of natural dra-inages for the water flow.
The development followed in the state, particularly in the past three decades, has a devastating impact on the ecology, he added. “We are going to have more and more floods unless we opt for a new paradigm of development respecting the ecological diversity,” he said.
