India plans to change the Ganges River to cope with the record drought

The project of installing water pipes to bring river water to the drought area could help the Indian government deal with the drought caused by record heat.

At least 330 million Indians are affected by drought. Heatwaves lasted throughout India, with a record temperature of 51 degrees C.

Indians do not have piped water and irrigation due to prolonged drought.(Photo: The Huffington Post).

According to Uma Bharti, India's Minister of Natural Resources, moving water from major rivers like the Ganges and Brahmaputra rivers to drought areas is a government priority. Inter Linking of Rivers (ILR) includes a pipeline connecting water transport, including 14 routes based on the water source of the Himalayan glaciers in the north of the country and 16 routes. Another is located on the Indian peninsula, according to the BBC.

Environmental activists are protesting against the project over fears that the ILR will cause an ecological disaster but the project is still being implemented under the orders of the Supreme Court of India.

"Connecting rivers is our most important task. We get the support of the people and I am determined to make the project fast," Ms Bharti said.

Many rivers in India are drying up.(Photo: AFP).

According to Ms Bharti, the project of connecting rivers is the first project in Indian history since gaining independence in 1947. In addition, the government is also working on other projects to provide drinking water and Irrigation water in the next few years. ILR will be a long-term project that will irrigate 35,000 hectares of land and produce 34,000 megawatts of electricity.

After two consecutive seasons with low rainfall, India is suffering from one of the worst droughts. Nearly half of the nation's 29 states face severe water shortage crisis. The most heavily affected states are Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh, forcing the Indian federal government to train trains carrying water to these areas.