Lok Sabha Question No. 1828 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2017-12-28
Subject: Inter-linking of Rivers
Ministry: WATER RESOURCES, RIVER DEVELOPMENT AND GANAGA REJUVENATION
Asked by: RAJIV PRATAP RUDY, R. GOPALAKRISHNAN, CHANDRAKANT BHAURAO KHAIRE

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

## LOK SABHA UN STARRED QUESTION NO. 1828

ANSWERED ON 28 .12.2017

## INTER - LINKING OF RIVERS

1828.

SHRI RAJIV PRATAP RUDY SHRI R. GOPALAKRISHNAN SHRI CHANDRAKANT KHAIRE

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

(a) whether the Government has prepared a feasibility and the detailed project report inter - linking project across the country along with it s impact on environment and biodiversity;

(b) if so, the details thereof including the Ken -Betwa and Vaigai river interlinking;

(c) the present status of the project and the names of States concerned and benefited ther inter - river water tran sfers;

(d) whether it is a fact that some portion of the Biosphere reserves and Habitats will be to interlinking of rivers; and

(e) if so, the details thereof and the necessary steps taken by the Government for early each rive r - link and in preserving the environment and biosphere reserves/habitat?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR WATER RESOURCES, RIVER DEVELOPMENT AND GANGA REJUVENATION & PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS ( SHRI ARJUN RAM MEGHW AL )

(a) to (c) The National Perspective Plan (NPP) was prepared by the then Ministry of Irri Ministry  of  Water  Resources,  River  Development  &  Ganga  Rejuvenation  (MoWR,  RD  &  GR)  in August 1980 for water resources development through inter basin trans fer of water, for transferring water  from  water  surplus  basins  to  water - deficit  basins.  Under  the  NPP,  the  National  Wate Development Agency (NWDA) has identified 30 links (16 under Peninsular Component & 14 un Himalayan Component) for preparation of Fe asibility Reports. The Pre -Feasibility Report of the all 30 links have been prepared and circulated to the concerned State Governments by the NWDA. survey and investigations, Feasibility Reports of 14 links under Peninsular Component and Reports  of  2  links  and  draft  Feasibility  Reports  of  7  links  (Indian  portion)  under Component have been completed. The present status of the projects and the names of States and benefited there under due to inter river water transfers ar e furnished in the A nnexure .

Four priority links under Peninsular Rivers Component have been identified for prepa Detailed Project Reports (DPR) viz; Ken - Betwa  link  project  (KBLP)  Phase -I & II, Damanganga -Pinjal  link  project,  Par - Tapi - Narmada link  project  and  Mahanadi - Godavari  link  project.  The preparation of DPR of a project is taken up only after consent of concerned State Governme on the concurrence of the concerned States, DPRs of KBLP Phase -I & Phase -II, Damanganga - Pinjal link pr oject 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.  The  techno -economic clearance of the Damanganga - Pinjallink project has also been accorded subject to statutory

clearances. The DPR of Par - Tapi - Narmada link project has been submitted for technical apprais Central Water Commission. The DPR of the Mahanadi -Godavari link could not be taken up as the Government  of  Odisha  was  not  agreeable  for  Mahanadi -Godavari  link,  a  mother  link  of  9  link system viz., Mahanadi -Godavari -Krishna -Pennar -Palar -Cauvery -Vaigai -Gundar linkage due to large submergence involved in Manibhadra Dam. Based on the suggest ions of WRD, Govt. of Odisha, NWDA has prepared a preliminary revised proposal of Mahanadi -Godavari Link Project with reduced submergence and submitted to the State Govt. of Odisha for consideration.

The draft Memorandum of Understandings (MoUs) for imple mentation of KBLP has been sent to concerned States UP & MP for concurrence and draft MoU for implementation of Damanga -Pinjal link project and Par - Tapi - Narmada link project have been sent to concerned States Maharash & Gujarat for concurrence.

At th e time of preparation of DPR of the individual river link projects, detailed En Impact Assessment (EIA) studies as per Terms of Reference approved by Environmental App Committee (EAC) of Ministry of Environment and Forests &CC are carried out. EIA study includes impacts  on  land  environment,  water  resources  and  its  quality,  terrestrial  ecology  (f vegetation cover, wildlife), aquatic ecology (riverine ecology, fisheries), pollution due construction phase, impact on air quality, impact due to command area development, impacts on l services  (like  water  supply,  education,  health  care,  community  forests,  impacts  on opportunities). All environmental impacts and issues arising out of the EIA studies are du address d in Environmental Management Plan which forms a part of DPR.

(d)  &  (e) Yes, it  is  a  fact  that  some  portion  of  the  Biosphere  reserves  and  Habitats submerged  due  to  Inter -Linking  of  Rivers  (ILR)  in  some  of  the  link  projects,  for  which  s ble Environment Management Plan (EMP) is suggested in the EIA studies. Implementation of the is  taken  up  after  the  statutory  clearances  such  as  Environment,  Wildlife,  Forest  lan clearance from Ministry of Tribal Affairs.

ILR  programme  h as  been  taken  up  on  high  Priority.  The  Government  is  pursuing  the program in a consultative manner.

The Supreme Court vide its judgment dated 27.02.2012 in the Writ Petition (Civil) N 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 constitute a Committee under the chair 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  Union  Minister  of  Water Resources, River Development & Ganga Rejuvenation (MoWR, RD & GR) for the implementation o ILR  programme  vide  Gazette  Notification  d ated  23rd  September,  2014.  Thirteen  meetings  of  th Special Committee for ILR have been held so far (last meeting held on 27.07.2017 at New wherein  State  Irrigation/  Water  Resources  Ministers  along  with  the  Secretaries  of  var participate d. The Special Committee on ILR takes into consideration all the suggestions/obse of the stakeholders while planning and formulating the ILR projects. Vigorous efforts have for generating consensus with development of alternative plans an d also etting out road maps for implementation of mature projects.

*****

## ANNEXURE

## Annexure referred to in reply to part (a) & (b) of Unstarred Question No. 1828 to be ans in Lok Sabha on 28.12.2017 regarding 'Inter -linking of Rivers'.

## Benefits from Proposed Inter Basin Water Transfer Links

| Sl. No               | Name                                                   | States concerned                                                                      | States benefited                        | Annual Irrigation (Lakh ha)                          | Domestic and Industrial supply (MCM)   | Hydro power (MW)     | Present status                |
|----------------------|--------------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------|----------------------|-------------------------------|
| Peninsular Component | Peninsular Component                                   | Peninsular Component                                                                  | Peninsular Component                    | Peninsular Component                                 | Peninsular Component                   | Peninsular Component | Peninsular Component          |
| 1                    | Mahanadi (Manibhadra) - Godavari (Dowlaiswaram) link   | Odisha, Maharashtra, AP, Karnataka, Chattisgarh& Telangana                            | Andhra Pradesh & Odisha                 | 0.91+3.52 4.43                                       | 802                                    | 445                  | FR completed                  |
| 2                    | Godavari (Inchampalli) - Krishna (Pulichintala) link   | - do-                                                                                 | - do-                                   | 6.13                                                 | 413                                    | --                   | FR completed                  |
| 3                    | Godavari (Inchampalli) - Krishna (Nagarjunasagar) link | Odisha, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, AP, Karnataka, Chattisgarh & Telangana           | - do-                                   | 2.87                                                 | 237                                    | 975                  | FR completed                  |
| 4                    | Godavari (Polavaram) -Krishna (Vijayawada) link        | Odisha, Maharashtra, AP, Karnataka, Chattisgarh& Telangana                            | Andhra Pradesh                          | 5.82                                                 | 162                                    | --                   | FR completed                  |
| 5                    | Krishna (Almatti) - Pennar link                        | Maharashtra, Karnataka, Telangana& AP                                                 | Andhra Pradesh & Karnataka              | 1.90+0.68 2.58                                       | 56                                     | --                   | FR completed                  |
| 6                    | Krishna (Srisailam) - Pennar link                      | - do-                                                                                 | --                                      | --                                                   | --                                     | 17                   | FR completed                  |
| 7                    | Krishna (Nagarjunasagar) - Pennar (Somasila ) link     | Maharashtra, AP & Karnataka                                                           | - do-                                   | 5.81                                                 | 124                                    | 90                   | FR completed                  |
| 8                    | Pennar (Somasila) - Cauvery (Grand Anicut) link        | AP, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala & Puducherry                                        | AP, Tamil Nadu & Puducherry             | 0.49+4.36 0.06 = 4.91                                | 1105                                   | --                   | FR completed                  |
| 9                    | Cauvery (Kattalai) - Vaigai- Gundar link               | Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala & Puducherry                                            | Tamil Nadu                              | 3.38                                                 | 185                                    | --                   | FR completed                  |
| 10                   | Ken - Betwa link a) Ken - Betwa Link Phase- I          | Uttar Pradesh Madhya Pradesh                                                          | & Uttar Pradesh & Madhya Pradesh Madhya | 2.66 + 3.69 =6.35                                    | 49                                     | 78                   | FR & DPR (Ph- I&II) completed |
| 11                   | Phase- II Parbati- Kalisindh - - Chambal link          | Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan & Uttar Pradesh (UP requested to consulted during consensus | be Madhya Pradesh & Rajasthan           | *Alt.I: 2.05+ 0.25 =2.30 (Alt.II: 1.77+ 0.43 = 2.20) | 13.2                                   | --                   | FR completed                  |
| 12                   | Par- Tapi - Narmada link                               | building ) Maharashtra & Gujarat                                                      | Gujarat                                 | 2.32                                                 | 76                                     | 22                   | FR & DPR completed            |

| Sl. No              | Name                                                        | States concerned                                   | States benefited                         | Annual Irrigation (Lakh ha)   | Domestic and Industrial supply (MCM)    | Domestic and Industrial supply (MCM)   | Hydro power (MW)    | Present status                       |
|---------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------|-------------------------------|-----------------------------------------|----------------------------------------|---------------------|--------------------------------------|
| 13                  | Damanganga - Pinjal link (As per DPR )                      | - do-                                              | Maharashtra (only water supply to Mumbai | --                            | 895 (including MCM Pinjal proposed GoM) | 316 from dam by                        | --                  | FR & DPR completed                   |
| 14                  | Bedti -Varda link                                           | Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh & Karnataka            | Karnataka                                | 0.60                          | --                                      | --                                     | 4                   | PFR completed                        |
| 15                  | Netravati - Hemavati link                                   | Karnataka, Tamil Nadu & Kerala                     | Karnataka                                | 0.34                          | --                                      | --                                     | --                  | PFR completed                        |
| 16                  | Pamba - Achankovil - Vaippar link                           | Kerala & Tamil Nadu,                               | Tamil Nadu                               | 0.91                          | --                                      | --                                     | 508                 | FR completed                         |
| Himalayan Component | Himalayan Component                                         | Himalayan Component                                | Himalayan Component                      | Himalayan Component           | Himalayan Component                     | Himalayan Component                    | Himalayan Component | Himalayan Component                  |
| 1.                  | Manas - Sankosh- Tista - Ganga (M-S-T- G) link              | Assam, West Bengal, Bihar& Bhutan                  | Assam, West Bengal & Bihar               | 2.08 + 1.82 2.64 = 6.54       | + --                                    | + --                                   | 5287                | PFR completed                        |
| 2.                  | Kosi- Ghaghra link                                          | Bihar , Uttar Pradesh &Nepal                       | Bihar& Uttar Pradesh                     | 8.17+ 0.67 1.74 (Nepal) 10.58 | + = 48                                  | + = 48                                 | --                  | PFR completed                        |
| 3.                  | Gandak- Ganga link                                          | - do-                                              | Uttar Pradesh                            | 37.99+2.41(Nep al) = 40.40    | 700                                     | 700                                    | --                  | Draft FR completed (Indian portion)  |
| 4.                  | Ghaghra- Yamuna link                                        | - do-                                              | Uttar Pradesh                            | 25.30 + 1.35 (Nepal) =26.65   | 1391                                    | 1391                                   | 10884               | FR completed (Indian portion)        |
| 5.                  | Sarda - Yamuna link                                         | Bihar, UP, Haryana, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand & Nepal | Uttar Pradesh & Uttarakhand              | 3.45 + 0.30 3.75              | = 6250                                  | = 6250                                 | 3600                | FR completed (Indian portion)        |
| 6.                  | Yamuna -Rajasthan link                                      | UP, Gujarat, Haryana & Rajasthan                   | Haryana & Rajasthan                      | 0.435 + 2.442 2.877           | = 57                                    | = 57                                   | --                  | Draft FR completed                   |
| 7.                  | Rajasthan -Sabarmati link                                   | - do-                                              | Rajasthan & Gujarat                      | 5.35 + 2.04= 7.39             | 282                                     | 282                                    | --                  | Draft FR completed                   |
| 8.                  | Chunar- Sone Barrage link                                   | Bihar& UP                                          | Bihar& Uttar Pradesh                     | 0.30 + 0.37= 0.67             | --                                      | --                                     | --                  | Draft FR completed                   |
| 9.                  | Sone Dam - Southern Tributaries of Ganga link               | Bihar & Jharkhand                                  | Bihar & Jharkhand                        | 2.99 0.08=3.07                | + 360                                   | + 360                                  | 95                  | PFR completed                        |
| 10.                 | Ganga(Farakka) - Damodar - Subernarekha link                | West Bengal, Odisha & Jharkhand                    | West Bengal, Odisha & Jharkhand          | 7.63 + 0.30 0.55 = 8.47       | + 484                                   | + 484                                  | -                   | Draft FR completed                   |
| 11.                 | Subernarekha - Mahanadi link                                | West Bengal& Odisha                                | West Bengal& Odisha                      | 0.18 + 0.365 = 0.545          | --                                      | --                                     | 9                   | Draft FR completed                   |
| 12.                 | Kosi- Mechi link                                            | Bihar, West Bengal & Nepal                         | Bihar                                    | 2.99 + 1.75 (Nepal) = 4.74    | 24                                      | 24                                     | 3180                | PFR completed Entirely lies Nepal.   |
| 13.                 | Farakka -Sunderbans link                                    | West Bengal                                        | West Bengal                              | 1.50                          | 184                                     | 184                                    | --                  | Draft FR completed                   |
| 14.                 | Jogighopa - Tista - Farakka link (Alternative to M -S- T-G) | - do-                                              | Assam, West Bengal &Bihar                | ----                          | 216                                     | 216                                    | 1115                | Alternate to -M S- T-G link dropped. |

- PFR -Pre  Feasibility Report
- FR -Feasibility Report
- DPR -Detailed Project Report
- S&I -Survey and Investigation
- MCM -Million Cubic Meters