Lok Sabha Question No. 2590 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2018-08-02
Subject: Inter-Linking of Rivers
Ministry: WATER RESOURCES, RIVER DEVELOPMENT AND GANAGA REJUVENATION
Asked by: RAHUL KASWAN

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF WATER RESOURCES, RIVER DEVELOPMENT & GANGA REJUVENATION

## LOK SABHA UN STARRED QUESTION NO.

## †2590

ANSWERED ON 02.0 8.201 8

## INTER - LINKING OF RIVERS

## †2590. SHRI RAHUL KASWAN

## Will the Minister of WATER RESOURCES, RIVER DEVELOPMENT AND GANGA REJUVENATION be pleased to state:

(a) whether the Government has inter - linked  various  rivers  in  the  country  and  if  so,  the  de thereof, river - wise;

(b) the total area irrigated/ likel y to be irrigated as a result of the same;

- (c) the corrective action taken with regard to inter -linking of rivers in the country; and

(d) the time by which the said work is likely to be completed?

## ANSWER

## THE  MINISTER  OF  STATE  FOR  WATER  RESOURCES, RIVER  DEVELOPMENT  AND GANGA REJUVENATION & PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS

## ( SHRI ARJUN RAM MEGHW AL )

(a) The National Perspective Plan (NPP) was prepared by the then Ministry of Irrigatio Ministry  of  Water  Resources,  River  Development  &  Ganga  Rejuvenation) in  August  1980  for transferring water from water surplus basins to water - deficit basins. Under the NPP, the National Water Development Agency (NWDA) identified 30 links (16 under Peninsular Component & 14 under  Himalayan  Component)  for  preparation  of  Feasi bility  Reports  (FRs).  The  Pre - Feasibility Reports  (PFRs)  of  the  all  30  links  have  been  prepared  and  circulated  to  the  concern Governments. After survey and investigations, FRs of 14 links under Peninsular Componen FRs of 2 links and draft FRs of 7 links (Indian portion) under Himalayan Component have been completed. Present status and States concerned are given in Annexure .

Five priority links under Peninsular Rivers Component have been identified viz; Ken - Betwa link  project  (KBLP)  Phase -I  & II,  Damanganga - Pinjal  link  project,  Par - Tapi - Narmada  link project, Mahanadi -Godavari link project and Parbati - Kalisindh - Chambal link Project. Based on the concurrence of the concerned States, Detailed Projects Reports (DPRs) of KBLP Phase -I & Phase -II, Da manganga- Pinjal link project and Par - Tapi - Narmada link project have been completed. The techno - economic  clearance  and  various  statutory  clearances  of  the  KBLP  Phase -I  have  been accorded  except  clearance  from  Central  Empowered  Committee  (CEC)  of  the  Supreme Court. Based on the request of Government of Madhya Pradesh, Lower Orr dam, Bina complex and Kot barrage  projects  have  been  included  in  KBLP  Phase -II.  The  DPR  of  these  projects  have  been completed by  NWDA/  Government of Madhya Pradesh. The draft Memoran dum of Agreement (MoA) for implementation of Ken - Betwa Link Project has been sent to Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh for concurrence.

The  techno - economic  clearance  of  the  Damanganga - Pinjal  link  project  has  also  been accorded,  subject to  statutory  clearances.  The  DPR  of  Par - Tapi - Narmada  link  project  has  been completed by NWDA. The combined draft MoA for implementation of Damanganga - Pinjal and Par - Tapi - Narmada Link (including the four intra -sta e link projects of Maharashtra State) has b een sent to Maharashtra and Gujarat State Governments for concurrence.

(b) It is estimated that implementation of all the Inter Linking of Rivers (ILR) proj NPP would give benefit of 25 million ha. of irrigation from surface waters and 10 mill n ha by increased use of ground waters, raising the ultimate irrigation potential from 140 milli million ha.

(c) & (d) The ILR programme has been taken up on high priority. The Government is pursuing ILR program in a consultative manner.

The Supreme Court vide its judgment dated 27.02.2012 in the Writ Petition (Civil) of 2002 on 'Networking of Rivers' along with Writ Petition No. 668 of 2002' directed the Union of India  and  particularly  the  Ministry  of  Water  Resources  to  constit ute  a  Committee  under  the chairmanship of Minister of Water Resources for the implementation of ILR.

As  per  the  directions  of  Supreme  Court,  a  committee  called  'Special  Committee  on Interlinking  of  Rivers'  was  constituted  under  the  Chairmanship  of  the  Uni on Minister of Water Resources, River Development & Ganga Rejuvenation (MoWR, RD & GR) for the implementation of ILR programme vide Gazette Notification dated 23rd September, 2014. Fourteen meetings Special Committee for ILR have been held so far (l ast meeting held on 17.01.2018 at New Delhi), wherein State Irrigation/ Water Resources Ministers along with the Secretaries of vari participated. The Special Committee on ILR takes into consideration all suggestions/observations  of  the  stake holders  while  planning  and  formulating  the  ILR  projects Vigorous efforts have been made for generating consensus with development of alternativ and also setting out road maps for implementation of mature projects.

Further, the Union Cabinet while approving the constitution of Special Committee f in its meeting held on 24th July, 2014 further, directed that a committee comprising of constituted to look into the issues relating to inter linking of riv s. In compliance to the direction of Union Cabinet, MoWR, RD & GR vide O.M. dated 13th April, 2015 has constituted a Ta Force for Interlinking of Rivers (TF -ILR) under the Chairmanship of Shri B.N. Navalawala, Chief Advisor,  MoWR,  RD&GR.  So  far,  nine  m eetings  of  the  TF -ILR  have  been  held  and  the  last meeting was held on 30.05.2018.

The  implementation  of  ILR  projects  involves  various  steps  such  as  preparati PFRs/FRs;  negotiation  and  consensus  among  concerned  States;  preparation  of  DPRs;  clea f rom  appraisal agencies including clearance by Ministry of Environment & Forests and C Change  (MoEF&CC)  and  Ministry  of  Tribal  Affairs;  techno - economic  clearance  by  Advisory Committee on Irrigation, Flood Control & Multipurpose Projects of MoWR, RD & GR; investment clearance and the actual construction time required for the completion of the project as

The implementation of a project is taken up after preparation of its DPR with the of concerned States and obtaining requisite statut ory clearances. No time frame can be fixed for th implementation of the programme at this stage.

## Annexure referred to in reply to part (a) of Unstarred Question No. † 2590 to be answered in Lok Sabha on 02.08.2018 regarding 'Inter - Linking of Rivers'.

## Present status of Inter Basin Water Transfer Links, the States involved, name of rivers status of Feasibility Reports/Detailed Project Report

| Sl. No               | Name                                                   | Rivers                       | States concerned                                                                                   | Status                        |
|----------------------|--------------------------------------------------------|------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|-------------------------------|
| Peninsular Component | Peninsular Component                                   | Peninsular Component         | Peninsular Component                                                                               | Peninsular Component          |
| 1                    | Mahanadi (Manibhadra) - Godavari (Dowlaiswaram) link   | Mahanadi & Godavari          | Odisha, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, & Chattisgarh                                      | FR Completed                  |
| 2                    | Godavari (Inchampalli) - Krishna (Pulichintala)        | link Godavari & Krishna      | - do-                                                                                              | FR Completed                  |
| 3                    | Godavari (Inchampalli) - Krishna (Nagarjunasagar) link | Godavari & Krishna           | Odisha, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka & Chattisgarh,                      | FR Completed                  |
| 4                    | Godavari (Polavaram) - Krishna (Vijayawada)            | link Godavari & Krishna      | Odisha, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, & Chattisgarh                                      | FR Completed                  |
| 5                    | Krishna (Almatti) - Pennar link                        | Krishna & Pennar             | - do-                                                                                              | FR Completed                  |
| 6                    | Krishna (Srisailam) - Pennar link                      | Krishna & Pennar             | - do-                                                                                              | FR Completed                  |
| 7                    | Krishna (Nagarjunasagar) - Pennar ( Somasila ) link    | Krishna & Pennar             | Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh& Karnataka,                                                            | FR Completed                  |
| 8                    | Pennar (Somasila) - Cauvery (Grand Anicut) link        | Pennar & Cauvery             | Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala & Puducherry                                         | FR Completed                  |
| 9                    | Cauvery (Kattalai )-Vaigai - Gundar link               | Cauvery, Vaigai & Gundar     | Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala & Puducherry                                                         | FR Completed                  |
| 10                   | Ken -Betwa link                                        | Ken & Betwa                  | Uttar Pradesh & Madhya Pradesh                                                                     | FR & DPR (Ph- I&II) Completed |
| 11                   | Parbati - Kalisindh - Chambal link                     | Parbati, Kalisindh & Chambal | Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan & Uttar Pradesh (UP requested to be consulted during consensus building) | FR Completed                  |
| 12                   | Par - Tapi - Narmada link                              | Par, Tapi & Narmada          | Maharashtra & Gujarat                                                                              | FR & DPR Completed            |
| 13                   | Damanganga -Pinjal link                                | Dama nganga & Pinjal         | Maharashtra & Gujarat                                                                              | FR & DPR Completed            |
| 14                   | Bedti-Varda link                                       | Bedti & Varda                | Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh & Karnataka                                                            | PFR Completed                 |
| 15                   | Netravati - Hemavati link                              | Netravati & Hemavati         | Karnataka, Tamil Nadu & Kerala                                                                     | PFR Completed                 |
| 16                   | Pamba -Achankovil- Vaippar link                        | Pamba, Achankovil & Vaippar  | Kerala & Tamil Nadu,                                                                               | FR Completed                  |

| Sl. No              | Name                                                        | Rivers                         | States concerned                                              | Status                                 |
|---------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------|--------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------|
| Himalayan Component | Himalayan Component                                         | Himalayan Component            | Himalayan Component                                           | Himalayan Component                    |
| 1.                  | Manas - Sankosh- Tista - Ganga (M-S- T-G) link              | Manas - Sankosh- Tista - Ganga | Assam, West Bengal, Bihar& Bhutan                             | PFR completed                          |
| 2.                  | Kosi- Ghaghra link                                          | Kosi & Ghaghra                 | Bihar , Uttar Pradesh & Nepal                                 | PFR completed                          |
| 3.                  | Gandak-Ganga link                                           | Gandak & Ganga                 | - do-                                                         | Draft FR completed (Indian portion)    |
| 4.                  | Ghaghra- Yamuna link                                        | Ghaghra & Yamuna               | - do-                                                         | FR completed (Indian portion)          |
| 5.                  | Sarda - Yamuna link                                         | Sarda & Yamuna                 | Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand & Nepal | FR completed (Indian portion)          |
| 6.                  | Yamuna - Rajasthan link                                     | Yamuna & Sukri                 | Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Haryana & Rajasthan                   | Draft FR completed                     |
| 7.                  | Rajasthan - Sabarmati link                                  | Sabarmati                      | - do-                                                         | Draft FR completed                     |
| 8.                  | Chunar- Sone Barrage link                                   | Ganga & Sone                   | Bihar & Uttar Pradesh                                         | Draft FR completed                     |
| 9.                  | Sone Dam - Southern Tributaries of Ganga                    | link Sone & Badua              | Bihar & Jharkhand                                             | PFR completed                          |
| 10.                 | Ganga(Farakka) - Damodar - Subernarekha link                | Ganga, Damodar & Subernarekha  | West Bengal, Odisha & Jharkhand                               | Draft FR completed                     |
| 11.                 | Subernarekha - Mahanadi link                                | Subernarekha & Mahanadi        | West Bengal & Odisha                                          | Draft FR Completed                     |
| 12.                 | Kosi- Mechi link                                            | Kosi &Mechi                    | Bihar , West Bengal & Nepal                                   | PFR completed Entirely lies in Nepal   |
| 13.                 | Ganga (Farakka) - Sunderbans link                           | Ganga & Ichhamati              | West Bengal                                                   | Draft FR completed                     |
| 14.                 | Jogighopa -Tista - Farakka link (Alternative to M - S-T- G) | Manas, Tista Ganga             | - do-                                                         | (Alternative to - S-T- G Link) dropped |

- PFR -Pre  Feasibility Report
- FR -Feasibility Report
- DPR -Detailed Project Report