Lok Sabha Question No. 6431 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2018-04-05
Subject: Representations on Inter-linking of Rivers
Ministry: WATER RESOURCES, RIVER DEVELOPMENT AND GANAGA REJUVENATION
Asked by: PARASURAMAN K.

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

## LOK SABHA UN STARRED QUESTION NO. 6431

ANSWERED ON 05.0 4.201 8

## REPRESENTATIONS ON I NTER - LINKING OF RIVERS

## 6431. SHRI K. PARASURAMAN

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

- (a) whether the Government has received any representations from Tamil Nadu to implement t -linking of the Mahanadi -Godavari - Krishna -Pennar - Palar - Cauvery- Vaigai rivers;
- (b) if so, the details thereof and the action taken by the Government in this regard;
- (c) whether it is a fact that due to excessive financial implications the inter - linking of river projects on any segment would not be possible;
- (d) if so, whether the Government has any proposal to generate separate fund sources for and
- (e) if so, the details thereof and the steps taken by the Government on this issue so far?

## ANSWER

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

## ( SHRI ARJUN RAM MEGHW AL )

(a) & (b) The National Perspective Plan (NPP) was prepared by the then Ministry of Irrigat Ministry  of  Water  Resources,  River  Development  &  Ganga Rejuvenation  (MoWR,  RD  &  GR)  in August 1980 for water resources development through inter basin transfer of water, for water  from  water  surplus  basins  to  water - deficit  basins.  Under  the  NPP,  the  National  Wate Development Agency (NWDA) has ide ntified 30 links (16 under Peninsular Component & 14 unde Himalayan Component) for preparation of Feasibility Reports (FRs). Out of the 16 links under  Peninsular  Component  of  NPP,  Mahanadi - Godavari - Krishna - Pennar - Palar - Cauvery- Vaigai Gundar river link has been identified as the nine link system which will benefit the South Mahanadi- Godavari is the mother link of this system. The details of the projects under t system and the States concerned and benefitted, etc., are furnish ed in Annexure .

During  the  various  meetings  of  NWDA  members/representatives  of  Government  of  Tam Nadu requested to implement the interlinking of Mahanadi - Godavari - Krishna - Pennar - Palar - CauveryVaigai - Gundar rivers.

The Mahanadi - Godavari link project has been considered as one of the priority link under inter - linking of river(ILR) programme. Govt of Odisha is not agreeable to Manibhadra dam due to

largesubmergence  involved.  On  the  request  of  Government  of  Odisha,  NWDA  has carried  out alternate  studies  for  Mahanadi - Godavari  link  project  with  proposed  Barmul  dam  site  with  reduc submergence and submitted the report to Govt of Odisha. Hydrological studies were also c through NIH, Roorkee. However, Government of Odis ha did not agree for the water balance computed at Barmul Dam site. For taking up the Detailed Project Report (DPR) of Mahanadi - Godavari link, the consensus building with concerned States is necessary.

Further,  out  of  the  above  nine  links,  Government  of  A ndhra  Pradesh  has  taken  up  the implementation  of  Godavari(Polavaram) -Krishna(Vijayawada)  link  project  according  to  their  o planning.

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 WR, RD & GR for the implementation of ILR programme vide Gazette Notification dated 23rd September, Fourteen  meetings  of  the  Special  Committee  for  ILR  have  been  held  so  far  (last  meeting 17.01. 2018  at  New  Delhi),  wherein  State  Irrigation/  Water  Resources  Ministers  along  w Secretaries of various States participated. The Special Committee on ILR takes into consi the suggestions/observations of the stakeholders while planning and formulating the ILR projects. The Committee, after considering the views of all the stakeholders, is proceeding ahead to objectives of the interlinking of rivers as per terms of reference. Vigorous efforts have generating  consen sus  with  development  of  alternative  plans  and  also  setting  out  road  m implementation of mature projects.

(c) to (e) The ILR programme has been taken up on high priority. The Government is pursuin ILR program in a consultative manner.

The  implementation  of  ILR  projects  involves  various  steps  such  as  preparation Feasibility Reports (PFRs)/FRs; negotiation and consensus among concerned States; prepar DPRs; clearance from appraisal agencies including clearance by Ministry of Enviro nment & Forests and Climate Change (MoEF & CC) and Ministry of Tribal Affairs; techno - economic  clearance  by Advisory Committee on Irrigation, Flood Control & Multipurpose Projects of MoWR, RD & investment clearance and the actual construction time requ ired fo  the completion of the project as p DPR.

The implementation of a project is taken up after preparation of its DPR with the co concerned  States  and  obtaining  requisite  statutory  clearances.  The  financial  implicat available on ly after the preparation of DPRs of all the links.

Further,  the  Central  Government  constituted  a  Group  for  Financial  Aspects  under  t Force - ILR on 12.09.2017. Six meetings of the Group have been held so far, and the last mee held on 27.02.2018.

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## Annexure referred to in reply to part (a) & (b) of Unstarred Question No. 6431 to be answered Sabha on 05.04.2018 regarding ' Representations on Inter - linking of Rivers ' .

## States, Rivers concerned and benefitted under Proposed Inter State Water Transfer Links

| Sl. No               | Name                                                   | States concerned                                                           | States benefitted           | Present status                                                                        |
|----------------------|--------------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| 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     | Feasibility completed.                                                                |
| 2                    | Godavari (Inchampalli) - Krishna (Pulichintala) link   | - do-                                                                      | Andhra Pradesh&Telanga na   | Feasibility completed.                                                                |
| 3                    | Godavari (Inchampalli) - Krishna (Nagarjunasagar) link | Odisha, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, AP, Karnataka, Chattisgarh &Telangana | Telangana                   | Feasibility completed.                                                                |
| 4                    | Godavari (Polavaram) - Krishna (Vijayawada) link       | Odisha, Maharashtra, AP, Karnataka, Chattisgarh& Telangana                 | Andhra Pradesh              | Feasibility completed.(Govt of AP started implement this project as per own planning) |
| 5                    | Krishna (Almatti) - Pennar link                        | Maharashtra, Karnataka, Telangana& AP                                      | Andhra Pradesh & Karnataka  | Feasibility completed.                                                                |
| 6                    | Krishna (Srisailam) - Pennar link                      | - do-                                                                      | Andhra Pradesh              | Feasibility Report completed.                                                         |
| 7                    | Krishna (Nagarjunasagar) -Pennar (Somasila )           | link Maharashtra, AP & Karnataka                                           | - do-                       | Feasibility completed.                                                                |
| 8                    | Pennar (Somasila) - Cauvery (Grand Anicut) link        | AP, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala & Puducherry                             | AP, Tamil Nadu & Puducherry | Feasibility completed.                                                                |
| 9                    | Cauvery (Kattalai)- Vaigai- Gundar link                | Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala & Puducherry                                 | Tamil Nadu                  | Feasibility completed.                                                                |