Lok Sabha Question No. 3822 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2018-08-09
Subject: Construction of Dams for Flood Control
Ministry: WATER RESOURCES, RIVER DEVELOPMENT AND GANAGA REJUVENATION
Asked by: SANTOSH KUMAR

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

## LOK SABHA UN STARRED QUESTION NO.

## †3822 ANSWERED ON 09.0 8.201 8

## CONSTRUCTION OF DAMS FOR FLOOD CONTROL

## †3822. SHRI SANTOSH KUMAR

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

(a) the major steps taken by the Government to control the floods affecting Bihar every y

(b) whether any PFR/DPR has been prepared by any public sec tor undertakings to construct dams on these rivers for flood control/irrigation/hydel power generation and if so, the detai if not, the prospective action plan prepared in this regard;

(c) whether any hydel power project in the State of more than 50 megawatt capacity is likely to be constructed and if so, the details thereof; and

(d) the details of the works to be undertaken by the Government related to construction check floods through a tie - up with Nepal?

## ANSWER

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

## ( SHRI ARJUN RAM MEGHW AL )

(a) The subject of flood management is within the purview of the State Governments. The management schemes are formulated and implemented by concerned States with their resou and  based  on  their  priority.  The  Union  Government  supplements  the  efforts  o f  the  States  by providing  technical  guidance  and  promotional  financial  assistance  for  management  of  fl critical areas. In order to mitigate the floods, flood management schemes such as construct embankments,  spurs,  studs,  revetments,  porcupine screens  etc.  along  with  activation  of  pilo channels have already been taken up on different rivers as per requirement and site con the State Government.

The Government of India had launched 'Flood Management Programme (FMP)' during XI Plan fo r providing central assistance to States for works related to river management, flo anti - erosion, drainage development, anti - sea erosion, flood proofing works, restoration of damag flood management works etc. which was continued during XII Plan . Further, under the Ministry's Central  Sector  Scheme,  'River  Management  Activities  and  Works  related  to  Border  Areas (RMBA)', activities viz. hydrological observations and flood forecasting on common border rivers with neighbouring countries, investigatio n of water resources projects in neighbouring countri and Grant - in - Aid to States/UTs for flood management/anti -sea erosion works are included. Central Assistance  amounting  to  Rs.  907.82  crore  and  Rs.  160.9284  crore  have  been  releas Government of Bih ar under FMP and RMBA scheme respectively till March, 2018.

Apart from the above structural measures, non - structural measures through timely  flood forecasting and early warning systems are also being carried out by Central Water Com (CWC) to mini mize the effect of floods. The activities on preparation of reports for int - linking/ intra - linking of various rivers have also been taken up by National Water Development A (NWDA).

(b) National Water Development Agency has prepared pre - feasibility reports of  four Inter -Linking of River (ILR) projects under Himalayan Component of National Perspective Plan(NPP) acros rivers originating from Nepal and Southern tributaries of Ganga viz ., Kosi -Mechi (lying in Nepal), Kosi- Ghaghra,  Chunar - Sone  barrage  and  Sone  dam - Southern  Tributaries  of  Ganga.  The  present status of these four link projects are furnished in Annexure - I .  These link projects propose to provide  irrigation  benefits  besides flood  control  etc.  The  Kosi - Mechi  link,  Sone  dam - Southern Tributaries of Ganga link projects will also provide hydro power generation. The exact q benefits that will accrue will only be known after completion of Detailed Project Report t hese  projects.  Under  Intra - State  link  projects,  Detailed  Project Reports of Kosi - Mechi  (lying  in India) link and Burhi Gandak - Noon - Baya- Ganga link projects have been prepared by NWDA.  The details of these two schemes are furnished in Annexure -II .

(c) DPR of Dagmara Hydroelectric Project (130 MW) in Bihar involving flood protection submitted  by  Bihar  State  Hydro  Power  Corporation  (BSHPC)  in  Central  Electricity  Auth (CEA) in April 2012 for concurrence. Concurrence by CEA could not be given due t o high project cost and tariff. BSHPC was requested to submit commitment letter from Govt. of Bihar/ concern Department  for  bearing  the  cost  apportioned  to  flood  protection. Due  to  non - resolution  of  the pending issues by BSHPC, the DPR of Dagmara Hydroel ectric Project was returned by CEA in January, 2018 and all the partial clearances issued till date are rescinded.

(d) The  management  of  floods  due  to  rivers  like  Gandak,  Bagmati,  Kamla,  Kosi etc.  which originates in Nepal is important and the related issues are discussed in the existing - Nepal bilateral three - tier mechanisms comprising of (i) Joint Ministerial Commission on Water Resou (JMCWR), (ii) Joint Committee on Water Resources (JCWR) and (iii) Joint Standing Technical Committee (JSTC). Government of India has been engaging with the Government of Nepal construction  of  storage  dams  on  these  rivers  for  mutual  benefit  of  the  two  countri outcomes of the dialogue mechanis ms are given below:

- i.   Pancheshwar Development Authority (PDA) has been set up jointly by India and Nep development    &  operation  of  the  Pancheshwar  Multipurpose  Project  on  river  Sarada. Detailed Project Report of Pancheshwar Project has been pr epared by M/s WAPCOS Limited.
2. ii.The survey  and  investigation  work  including  preparation  of  DPR  of  Sapta  Kosi  High Project  and  Sun  Kosi  Storage -cum - Diversion  scheme  proposed  in  the  Sapta  Kosi  basin  in Nepal is being carried out by a Joint Project of fice, Sapta Kosi & Sun Kosi Investigation set up at Biratnagar, Nepal..

CWC is maintaining Flood Forecasting Stations in north bank tributaries of Ganga catchments in Nepal such as Ghaghra, Rapti, Gandak, Burhi Gandak, Bagmati, Kamlabalan, K Mah ananda etc. to give advance warnings to the State Governments concerned for taking ne precautionary measures. Flood forecast and early warning is formulated and issued by CWC rivers flowing from Nepal into India, based on observations carrie d out at 46 meteorological/hydrological observation sites in Nepal.

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Annexure - I

Annexure  referred  to in  reply to part (b)  of  Unstarred  Question  No. † 3822 to  be answered  in  Lok  Sabha  on 09. 08. 2018  regarding  'Construction  of  Dams  for  Flood Control'

Present Status of the Link projects.

|   Sl. No. | Name of link                            | States concerned   | States benefitted   | Present Status                         |
|-----------|-----------------------------------------|--------------------|---------------------|----------------------------------------|
|         1 | Kosi- Mechi                             | Bihar              | Bihar               | PFR completed. Entirely lies in Nepal. |
|         2 | Kosi- Ghaghra                           | Bihar&UP           | Bihar&UP            | PFR completed.                         |
|         3 | Chunar- Sone Barrage                    | Bihar&UP           | Bihar&UP            | Draft FR completed.                    |
|         4 | Sone Dam- Southern Tributaries of Ganga | Bihar& Jharkhand   | Bihar& Jharkhand    | PFR completed.                         |

## Annexure  referred  to in  reply to part (b)  of  Unstarred  Question  No. † 3822 to  be answered  in  Lok  Sabha  on 09. 08. 2018  regarding  'Construction  of  Dams  for  Flood Control'

## i)Kosi- Mechi Intra - State link project(Bihar State)

NWDA has prepared Detailed Project Report of Kosi - Mechi  Intra - State  link  project  and submitted  to  Govern ment  of  Bihar  in  March,  2014.  Kosi - Mechi  link  is  proposed  to  start  from existing Hanuman Nagar barrage on river Kosi close to Indo - Nepal Border. The Kosi - Mechi Link Project entirely lies in the State of Bihar. The present proposal is to extend  the existin g Eastern Kosi Main Canal (EKMC) beyond its tail end at RD 41.30 km to RD 117.50 km upto Mechi Riv so that rivers Kosi and Mechi which flow through Bihar itself after crossing Indo - Nepal  border could be linked together within Bihar. The Link Project wil l provide additional irrigation faciliti to  the  tune  of  2.15  lakh  ha  in  the  new  command  area  enroute  of  the  link  in  Mahanand between  rivers  Parman  and  Mechi  covering Araria,  Purnea,  Kishanganj  and  Katihar  districts  o Bihar.  The  irrigation  water  w ill  be  provided  during  kharif  season  from  June  to  October. The Advisory Committee of MoWR, RD & GR has accepted the project proposal in its meeting hel July, 2016.

## ii) Burhi Gandak - Noon - Baya - Ganga Intra - State link project(Bihar State)

As per the request of Govt of Bihar, NWDA has prepared the Detailed Project Report( of Burhi Gandak - Noon - Baya- Ganga Link Project (An Intra - State link of Bihar) in December, 2013 and  submitted  to  Government  of  Bihar  and  Central  Water  Commission  for  tech no- economic appraisal. The link project envisages diversion of 492 cumecs of flood waters of Burh river to Baya/Ganga river and also provide irrigation to 1.26 lakh ha enroute of the lin diversion  of  flood  water  will  help  in  mitigating flood  damages  in  the  lower  reaches  of  Burhi Gandak basin in Samastipur, Begusarai and Khagari districts of Bihar State.

Central Water Commission has opined vide letter dated 6.3.2017 that though the pro technically feasible, but will require fre quent desilting for maintaining the proposed canal and ri in  good  condition.  This  needs  to  be  confirmed  with  model  studies.  It  also  emerged  th protection to adjoining area can also be achieved by constructing embankments only which more economical. Looking into the other options available and protecting the area and po from inundation, it will be appropriate to formulate the present proposal as a flood sche likely to be more economical.  Accordingly, the views of Centra l Water Commission have been communicated to Govt. of Bihar in March, 2017 and  July, 2018.

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