Lok Sabha Question No. 4541 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2018-03-22
Subject: Expert Committee for Inter-linking of Rivers
Ministry: WATER RESOURCES, RIVER DEVELOPMENT AND GANAGA REJUVENATION
Asked by: RAJU ALIAS DEVAPPA ANNA SHETTI

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

## LOK SABHA UN STARRED QUESTION NO. † 4541

ANSWERED ON 22.0 3.201 8

## EXPERT COMMITTEE FOR INTER - LINKING OF RIVERS

## †4541. SHRI RAJU SHETTY:

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

(a) whether any expert committee for inter - linking of rivers has been constituted in the country;

(b) if so, the details thereof;

(c) whether recommendat ions of previous task force have been considered by the committee in regard and if so, the details thereof; and

(d) the steps taken/to be taken to expedite the process of inter - linking of rivers?

## ANSWER

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

## ( SHRI ARJUN RAM MEGHW AL )

(a) & (b) The Supreme Court vide its judgment dated 27.02.2012 in the Writ Petition (Civi 512  of  2002  on  'Networking  of  Rivers'  along  with  Writ  Petition  No. 668 of 2002 directed the Union of India to constitute a Committee under the chairmanship of Minister of Water Re for the implementation of Inter -Linking of River (ILR) . A C ommittee called 'Special Committee on Interlinking of Rivers' was constituted for the implementation of ILR under the Chairmanship of the Union Minister (WR, RD & GR) vide Gazette Notification dated 23rd September, 2014.

The Union Cabinet while approving the constitution of Special Committee for ILR meeting  held  on  24 th Jul y,  2014  further,  directed  that  a C ommittee  comprising  of  experts  be constituted to look into the issues relating to inter linking of rivers. In compliance t of Union Cabinet, MoWR, RD & GR vide O.M. dated 13 th April, 2015 constituted a Task Force for  Interlinking  of  Rivers  (TF -ILR)  under  the  Chairmanship  of  Shri  B.N.  Navalawala,  Chief Advisor, MoWR, RD & GR. So far, eight (8) meetings of the TF -ILR has been held and the last meeting was held on 15.09.2017.

(c) To  discharge  its  functions,  the Special  Committee  for  ILR  has  constituted  four  sub -committees. One of the sub - committees i.e. Sub - Committee- I has been set up for comprehensive evaluation of various studies/reports available on the issue of ILR includi recommendations/suggestions m ade in Reports of the Task Force on Interlinking of Rivers (20 and its Sub - Groups/Committees.

(d) The ILR programme has been taken up on high priority. The Government is pursuing ILR program in a consultative manner. Fourteen meetings of the Special Committee for ILR been held so far (last meeting held on 17.01.2018 at New Delhi), wherein State Irrigati Resources  Ministers  along  with  the  Secretaries  of  various  States  par ticipated.  The  Special Committee on ILR takes into consideration all the suggestions/observations of the stak while planning and formulating the ILR projects. The Committee, after considering views the stakeholders, is proceeding ahead to ex pedite the objectives of the interlinking of rivers a terms of reference. Vigorous efforts have been made for generating consensus with devel of alternative plans and also setting out road maps for implementation of mature projects

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