Lok Sabha Question No. 125 (STARRED), answered on 2017-03-09
Subject: Development of Ichhamati River
Ministry: WATER RESOURCES, RIVER DEVELOPMENT AND GANAGA REJUVENATION
Asked by: APARUPA PODDAR

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

## LOK SABHA

## STARRED QUESTION NO. *125 ANSWERED ON 09.03.2017

## DEVELOPMENT OF ICHHAMATI RIVER

| *125.                                                                                                  | SHRIMATI APARUPA PODDAR                                                                                |
|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| Will the Minister of WATER RESOURCES, RIVER DEVELOPMENT AND GANGA REJUVENATION be pleased to state:    | Will the Minister of WATER RESOURCES, RIVER DEVELOPMENT AND GANGA REJUVENATION be pleased to state:    |
| and                                                                                                    | and                                                                                                    |
| (d) the future plan of the Government to develop the rivers in the country, especially in West Bengal? | (d) the future plan of the Government to develop the rivers in the country, especially in West Bengal? |
| ANSWER MINISTER OF WATER RESOURCES, RIVER DEVELOPMENT AND GANGA                                        | ANSWER MINISTER OF WATER RESOURCES, RIVER DEVELOPMENT AND GANGA                                        |
| THE REJUVENATION                                                                                       | THE REJUVENATION                                                                                       |
| (SUSHRIUMA BHARTI)                                                                                     | (SUSHRIUMA BHARTI)                                                                                     |
| (a) to (d) : A statement is laid on the Table of the                                                   | House.                                                                                                 |

## STATEMENT  REFERRED  TO  IN  REPLY  TO  PARTS  (a)  TO  (d)  OF  STARRED QUESTION No. 125 FOR ANSWER ON 09.03.2017 REGARDING 'DEVELOPMENT OF ICHHAMATI RIVER'

(a) River Ichhamati and other rivers like Padma, Jamuna, Naobhanga are responsible for flood and drainage congestion in the blocks of Baduria, Swarupnagar, Bangaon and Bagda in the District of North 24-Parganas in the State of West Bengal.

To alleviate flood and drainage congestion and with a view to increase the carrying capacity of these rivers, work relating to removal of silt is being carried out by the State Government from time to time and during the last five years, about 14 km length of the river Ichhamati has been desilted in stretches and similar works are going on at other stretches as well.

Ministry  of  Water  Resources,  River  Development  and  Ganga  Rejuvenation  has  in  2014, approved a Central Sector Scheme viz. ''River Management Activities & Works related to Border Areas (RMBA)' with one of the components being maintenance of flood protection works of Kosi and  Gandak  projects  (in  Nepal),  flood  protection/  anti-erosion  works  in  the  border  areas  in Bangladesh  &  Pakistan  to  be  executed  by  the  States  with  100%  central  assistance.  Under  this scheme, 19 bank protection schemes of rivers Mahananda, Kulik, Karatowa, Atrai, Tangon, Tulai, Punarbhaba in Darjeeling, Uttar Dinajpur, Dakshin Dinajpur and Malda Districts of West Bengal, have been included, with an estimated cost of Rs. 96.56 crore.

(b) & (c)  Under the Flood Management Programme (FMP) central assistance is provided to the States for works  related to river management,  anti-erosion, restoration  of  damaged  flood management works, anti-sea erosion etc. A total of 522 projects were approved in XI and XII Plans and a central assistance of Rs 4873.07 crore has been released till date, out of which, an amount of Rs. 1307.07 crore was released in XII Plan as per details in Annexure 1 .

A total of 17 projects of the State of West Bengal at an approved cost of Rs. 1822.08 crore have been included under Flood Management Programme during XI and XII Plan. An amount of Rs. 643.26 crore during XI plan and Rs. 158.75 crore during XII plan has been released to State of West Bengal under Flood Management Programme.

Under  the  scheme  of  River  Management  Activities  &  Works  related  to  Border  Areas (RMBA), an amount of Rs. 197.67 crore has been released to border area States in the last three years; which includes Rs.29.69 crore to the State Government of West Bengal for flood protection/ anti-erosion works in the border areas.

The  State  Government  of  West  Bengal  has  informed  that  the  schemes  relating  to improvement of carrying capacity of rivers other than Ichhamati in the above mentioned blocks are also  being  carried  out.  In  last  five  years,  22  km  of  such  river  stretches  have  been  desilted  and similar  works  are  going  on  at  other  stretches  too.  The  State  Government  has  allocated  Rs  67.30 crore for such works in river Ichhamati in the last three years.

(d) The subject of flood management being under purview of the States, the schemes for antierosion,  flood  control  etc.  are  formulated  and  implemented  by  concerned  States  as  per  their priority.  The  Union  Government  supplements  the  efforts  of  the  States  by  providing  technical guidance and also promotional financial assistance for management of floods in critical areas.

The Brahmaputra Board advises the North-Eastern States on water resources development matters  including  flood  management.  Brahmaputra  Board  has  prepared  57  master  plans,  so  far, suggesting  appropriate  measures  for  water  resources  development  and  flood  control.  The  Ganga Flood Control  Commission  (GFCC)  advises the Ganga  basin States on formulation and implementation  of  flood  control  projects.  The  GFCC  has  prepared  23  comprehensive  plans  for management of floods by Ganga basin States.

The  West  Bengal  Government  is  taking  a  comprehensive  approach  towards  planning  of schemes relating to improvement of rivers and drainage channels by conducting scientific studies, considering environmental aspects and ensuring long term sustainability.

The  project  proposal  'Phase-I  works  of  Ghatal  Master  Plan  in  Paschim  Medinipur  and Purba  Medinipur  Districts  of  West  Bengal  with  an  estimated  cost  of  Rs.  1214.92  crore  was accepted by the Advisory Committee of MoWR, RD & GR in its 125th meeting held in May  2015.

*****

## ANNEXURE  REFERRED  TO  IN  REPLY  TO  PART  (b  &  c)  OF  LOK  SABHA  STARRED QUESTION  NO.125  FOR  ANSWER  ON  09.03.2017  REGARDING  'DEVELOPMENT  OF ICHHAMATI RIVER'

State-Wise Works Approved, Works Completed and Funds Released under Flood Management Programme (FMP) during XI and XII  Plan.

(Rs. in crore)

| Sl. No.   | State             | XI Plan        | XI Plan        | XI Plan                   | XII Plan       | XII Plan       | XII Plan                   | Total (XI + XII Plan) Status   | Total (XI + XII Plan) Status   | Total (XI + XII Plan) Status   | Total (XI + XII Plan) Status          |
|-----------|-------------------|----------------|----------------|---------------------------|----------------|----------------|----------------------------|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|---------------------------------------|
| Sl. No.   | State             | Works Approved | Works Approved | Funds Released ( XI Plan) | Works Approved | Works Approved | Funds Released ( XII Plan) | Works Approved                 | Works Approved                 | Number of Works Complete d     | Total Funds Released ( XI + XII Plan) |
| Sl. No.   | State             | Nos .          | Estimated Cost | Funds Released ( XI Plan) | Nos.           | Estimated Cost | Funds Released ( XII Plan) | Nos.                           | Estimate d Cost                | Number of Works Complete d     | Total Funds Released ( XI + XII Plan) |
| 1         | Arunachal Pradesh | 21             | 224.69         | 81.69                     | 0              | 0.00           | 87.91                      | 21                             | 224.69                         | 11                             | 169.60                                |
| 2         | Assam             | 10 0           | 996.14         | 748.86                    | 41             | 1386.97        | 64.89                      | 141                            | 2383.11                        | 94                             | 813.75                                |
| 3         | Bihar             | 43             | 1370.42        | 723.18                    | 4              | 447.63         | 184.64                     | 47                             | 1818.05                        | 41                             | 907.82                                |
| 4         | Chhattisgarh      | 3              | 31.13          | 15.57                     | 0              | 0.00           | 3.75                       | 3                              | 31.13                          | 0                              | 19.32                                 |
| 5         | Goa               | 2              | 22.73          | 9.98                      | 0              | 0.00           | 2.00                       | 2                              | 22.73                          | 2                              | 11.98                                 |
| 6         | Gujarat           | 2              | 19.79          | 2.00                      | 0              | 0.00           | 0.00                       | 2                              | 19.79                          | 1                              | 2.00                                  |
| 7         | Haryana           | 1              | 173.75         | 46.91                     | 0              | 0.00           | 0.00                       | 1                              | 173.75                         | 0                              | 46.91                                 |
| 8         | Himachal Pradesh  | 3              | 225.32         | 165.98                    | 4              | 1139.62        | 221.87                     | 7                              | 1364.94                        | 1                              | 387.85                                |
| 9         | Jammu & Kashmir   | 28             | 408.22         | 252.57                    | 15             | 562.47         | 169.95                     | 43                             | 970.69                         | 8                              | 422.52                                |
| 10        | Jharkhand         | 3              | 39.30          | 18.44                     | 0              | 0.00           | 4.27                       | 3                              | 39.30                          | 2                              | 22.71                                 |
| 11        | Karnataka         | 3              | 59.46          | 23.80                     | 0              | 0.00           | 0.00                       | 3                              | 59.46                          | 0                              | 23.80                                 |
| 12        | Kerala            | 4              | 279.74         | 63.68                     | 0              | 0.00           | 55.22                      | 4                              | 279.74                         | 0                              | 118.90                                |
| 13        | Manipur           | 22             | 109.34         | 66.34                     | 0              | 0.00           | 24.36                      | 22                             | 109.34                         | 19                             | 90.70                                 |
| 14        | Meghalaya         | 0              | 0.00           | 3.81                      | 0              | 0.00           | 0.00                       | 0                              | 0.00                           | 0                              | 3.81                                  |
| 15        | Mizoram           | 2              | 9.13           | 14.48                     | 0              | 0.00           | 1.93                       | 2                              | 9.13                           | 0                              | 16.41                                 |
| 16        | Nagaland          | 11             | 49.35          | 28.96                     | 6              | 74.52          | 54.17                      | 17                             | 123.87                         | 9                              | 83.12                                 |
| 17        | Orissa            | 67             | 169.00         | 101.12                    | 1              | 62.32          | 0.00                       | 68                             | 231.32                         | 60                             | 101.12                                |
| 18        | Puducherry        | 1              | 139.67         | 7.50                      | 0              | 0.00           | 0.00                       | 1                              | 139.67                         | 0                              | 7.50                                  |
| 19        | Punjab            | 5              | 153.40         | 40.43                     | 0              | 0.00           | 0.00                       | 5                              | 153.40                         | 0                              | 40.43                                 |
| 20        | Sikkim            | 28             | 104.92         | 83.69                     | 17             | 261.40         | 8.15                       | 45                             | 366.32                         | 21                             | 91.84                                 |
| 21        | Tamilnadu         | 5              | 635.54         | 59.82                     | 0              | 0.00           | 0.00                       | 5                              | 635.54                         | 0                              | 59.82                                 |
| 22        | Tripura           | 11             | 26.57          | 23.62                     | 0              | 0.00           | 0.00                       | 11                             | 26.57                          | 8                              | 23.62                                 |
| 23        | Uttar Pradesh     | 26             | 667.57         | 290.69                    | 3              | 291.70         | 111.22                     | 29                             | 959.27                         | 6                              | 401.91                                |
| 24        | Uttrankhand       | 12             | 119.82         | 49.63                     | 10             | 715.72         | 153.98                     | 22                             | 835.54                         | 8                              | 203.61                                |
| 25        | West Bengal       | 17             | 1822.08        | 643.26                    | 1              | 438.94         | 158.75                     | 18                             | 2261.02                        | 6                              | 802.01                                |
|           | Total             | 42 0           | 7857.08        | 3566.00                   | 102            | 5381.28        | 1307.0 7                   | 522                            | 13238.36                       | 297                            | 4873.07                               |