Why in News
The public has come to view the AI with mixed perceptions.
AI has helped in monitoring heart problems and eye conditions and offered treatment options.
AI predicts protein structure and aids in the development of new drug molecules.
Likewise, it predicts cyclones, monsoon strengths, etc.
On the dark side are fears that jobs may be lost to thinking machines that work 24/7
But nobody doubts that AI will help us in addressing large-scale problems that require the analysis of huge data.
As India’s development gathers momentum, we are faced with the eventuality of resource limitations.
We may need much more than we have.
This is especially true of water—every year we see floods in parts of the country and drought in others.
Engineers have long dreamt of building links between our rivers to mitigate these problems.
But uncertainties over the effects of such large-scale changes have stalled many initiatives.
Penna – Palar- Cauvery link canal
The Pennar (Somasila)-Palar-Cauvery (Grand Anicut) Link Canal, also known as the PPC Link Canal.
It is a proposed inter-basin water transfer project in India.
It aims to divert water from the Pennar River and Palar River to the Cauvery River basin.
The project is part of the larger National Perspective Plan for interlinking rivers in India.
Length: 529.19 kilometers (329.44 mi)
Capacity: 8,565 cubic meters per second (302,193 cu ft/s)
Purpose: To transfer surplus water from the Pennar and Palar rivers to the water-deficient Cauvery river basin for irrigation, drinking water, and industrial use.
Benefits:
Provide irrigation to drought-prone areas in the Cauvery basin.
Improve water security for cities and towns in the region.
Generate hydroelectric power.
Challenges:
High cost of construction and maintenance.
Inter-state water disputes.
Environmental concerns, such as potential impacts on ecosystems and water quality.
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