The document discusses reinventing the potential of the Seven Sister states located in Northeast India. It summarizes the location, climate, agriculture, tourism and trade potential. However, the region faces challenges of floods, scarcity of water, political instability, insurgency and lack of investment. The proposed solution is an extensive 80,000 km canalization and solar project across the region to distribute water for agriculture, generate power, and benefit 25 million people through economic and socio-cultural improvements. The project would require funding of Rs. 2000 crore annually over 5-8 years to boost the agricultural economy and provide jobs, electricity, water security and reduce tensions in the region.

1. Reinventing
the
SEVEN SISTERS
By : Senators

2. About The Seven Sisters
Location : 29.5⁰N to 22⁰N
88⁰E to 97.5⁰E
Drainage :
Brahmaputra(Dibang River,
Lohit River, Dhansiri River,
Kameng River, Raidak
River, Jaldhaka River,
Teesta River)
Barak(Tributaries : Makku,
Trang, Tuivai, Jiri, Sonai,
Rukni, Katakhal, Dhaleswari,
Langachini, Maduva and
Jatinga)
Climate : Predominantly
humid sub-tropical climate
with hot, humid summers,
severe monsoons and mild
winters.

3. In The NE States…. Its Potential
Agriculture
• Assam has the highest share of tea production in India (53%of total).
• The sub-tropical climate of Northeastern India is extremely favorable to the
cultivation of many plantation crops e.g. tea, coffee and rubber.
• Plantation crops are of great economic importance and provide huge
employment opportunity, specially to the women throughout the year.
Tourism
• North-East India is well blessed by Nature and it lays at the center of one of
the worlds richest bio-geographic areas viz. Kaziranga and Manas
sanctuaries.
• It has a rich cultural and ethnic heritage that can easily make it a tourist-
spot.
• The various historical monuments and places like ‘Rangghar, ‘Karengghar,
‘Joysagar’, ‘Joydoul’, etc. will encourage tourism in NE India.
• The wooded hill stations like Haflong, Towang, Shillong, Gangtok, etc. will
attract the tourists for hiking, trekking and camping.
Trade
• The North East shares land border with five countries viz. Bangladesh,
Myanmar, China ,Bhutan and, Nepal.
• NER can trade a part of the huge produce of tea and other plantation crops
at good profit since they are produced at nearby place.
• Trade across countries can link the seven sisters to the rest of India due to
its strategic location.

4. The Brahmaputra River
The overall hydropower potential of Arunachal Pradesh has been identified to be
over 50,000 MW; in fact in the entire North East Region the potential is over 58,356
MW ( more than 1/3 of India’s hydroelectric potential ).
Average Water Resource Potential is 537240
MCM i.e. much more than enough to irrigate the
entire fertile land in the North East Region.
About 2 billion cubic meters of ground water in the
Brahmaputra basin are within 5m of the surface
and is easily accessible by shallow tube wells.
Only about 16 percent of the total potential is utilized during Rabi and Pre-Kharif season.
Reason : Too much reliance on rice and wheat production system with less emphasis on dry land
agriculture.

5. But only potential is not enough
Floods
• The largest riverine island in the world, once covering 1,226 square
kilometers, Majuli has declined to a mere 576 square km in a little under
thirty years due to massive erosion caused by the annual monsoon that hits
this island hard.
• At the end of September, monsoonal floods hit Assam in Northeastern
India, affecting over two million people across 18 remote districts.
• The populations has dire needs in terms of shelter and hygiene, and has
also lost its crops, which represent their main livelihood due to these floods.
• Adequate efforts have not been made to capture this flood water which
results in water scarcity for most of the year.
Challenges to the development of NER
Scarcity of
water
• The region has high rainfall averaging around 10000 millimeters and above
annually yet paradoxically the regions far from perennial sources are water
scarce.
• This huge amount of precipitation is lost as surface runoff due the region’s
hilly terrain. This situation also doubles as floods in low line area.
• Agriculture is not possible off season as there is acute shortage of water
(even drinking water is hard to find).
• Only about 16 percent of the total potential is utilized during Rabi and Pre-
Kharif season (Reason : no water for irrigation after monsoon).

6. It doesn’t end up there only..
Political
Instability
Insurgency
Political
Irresponsibility
Infiltration from
Bangladesh
Bangladeshis form the largest group of migrants in India. As per 2001
census there are 3,084,826 people in India who came from Bangladesh.
This creates huge pressure on the government of India in terms of
resources and habilitation.
Many promises were made by the local as well as the national government
which have great economic importance viz. Bogibeel Bridge, Railways
projects, but are still unfinished.
Rs 895 crore was given to Mizoram for implementation of 150 projects
under Non-Lapsable Central Pool of Resources (NLCPR) but only Rs 391
crore was utilized so far to implement 64 projects.
The states have accused New Delhi of ignoring the issues concerning
them. It is this feeling which has led the natives of these states to seek
greater participation in self-governance. There are existing territorial
disputes between Manipur and Nagaland. Most of these organizations
demand independent state status or increased regional autonomy and
sovereignty.

7. The Seven Sisters require more of everything
32
19
6 5 0.2
Maharastra Delhi Karnataka Gujrat NER
Cumulative FDI Inflows to Indian
States
April 2000- June 2012
Cumulative FDI Inflows to Indian States
Special fiscal packages under North East
Industrial Policy (NEIP) and North East
Industrial and Investment Promotion Policy
(NEIIPPP) have so far failed to trigger major
investment flow in the region in the manner
it was conceived. The policy has failed to
get desired response from the investors.
In addition to this..
As per 12th Plan share of investment
(based on letter of Intent) in North East was,
however, only 0.58 per cent of total intended
investment (Rs 38,892 crore approximately
during 11th plan period) at national level.
Even a foreign country, Bangladesh understand the
economic possibilities of the north east region, and
are willing to invest in India for trade market, opening
up a possibility of bilateral trade of value $3 billion
with Myanmar. But it can be seen from the chart that
there was relatively no investment from central
government whatsoever.
Though per-capita investment in NER is
high, to utilize the benefits its strategic
position and all that NER has to offer,
huge investments to massive projects, in
other words REINVENTION is required.

8. Our Solution
Extensive canalization and solar project all across the NER
A massive canalization and distribution
project of about 80,000km long all across
the north east region which will distribute
Brahmaputra’s water throughout the north
east.
The project will be coupled with solar
panels and turbines to mitigate the power
shortages (there are power cuts within
hours it the place isn’t a main city).
In addition to canalization to boom
agriculture, setup of PSUs to invest directly
to agriculture and directly buy the produce
from the farmers will eliminate the
middlemen and ensure better output to
both the parties.
This canal and distribution systems would
cover all the areas with acute shortage and
agriculturally feasible areas viz. Silchar,
Jorhat, Barnadi, Barak valley, Nagaland,
Mizoram, Tripura and related areas. It will
support perennial agriculture.
The water from the extreme rainfall can be routed into
the canals through well maintained drains. The canals
will also contribute to the recharge of ground water in
areas facing acute shortage of water. Alternatively
rooftop rainwater harvesting can also be implemented
in Silchar, Jorhat, Barnadi, Nagaland, Mizoram,
Tripura and related areas.
As recently implemented in Karnataka, Water
ATMs can be setup which would use the canal
water to provide purified water to places where it
is inaccessible.

9. Input required for this massive project
Canal
Cum
Solar
Project
Solar Projects
Time : 5yrs
Finance input : Rs.2000cr annually
Canal Projects
Time : 7-8yrs
Financial Input : Rs.500cr annually
Rainwater
harvesting setup
Time : Around 1 month for personal
implementation
Financial Input : Rs. 2000 – Rs 30000
(at personal level)
[All figures are approximate.]

10. Benefits reach 25 million people in the NER
Economic
• Perennial agriculture will be possible in potential areas like
Barak Valley which will boost agricultural economy.
• Build-up and maintenance of canal and solar projects will
provide job opportunities to lakhs of people.
• Electricity will reach more homes.
• PSUs will ensure the benefits of the farmers as well as
middlemen will be eliminated resulting in genuine rates of
products.
• This system will provide a considerable support to the
farmers which will draw the interest of upcoming
generation towards agricultural sector.
Socio-Cultural
• The canals will channel flood water and distribute to the
entire NER or underground for storage and agriculture.
• Chances of displacement of people in flood affected areas
will be reduced.
• Canals will solve the crisis for potable water and hence
reduce the risk of water war and tensions among different
groups.

11. References
• Google Maps
• Wikipedia
• National Centre for Agricultural Economics and Policy Research (NCAP)
• Global Research Methodology Journal, V0l-II, 7th issue, Nov-Dec-Jan, 2012-13
• Irrigation Department, Assam
• Water Resources Information System of India
• Agency for Technical Cooperation and Development
• Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP), Ministry of Commerce and
Industry, Government of India.
• Times of India, Guwahati
• Water in India : Situation and prospects, unicef
• Reserve Bank of India
• Action for food Production and United Nations Children's Fund, Rooftop rainwater
harvesting systems