Lok Sabha Question No. 3064 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2019-07-11
Subject: River Inter-Linking Projects
Ministry: JAL SHAKTI
Asked by: Omprakash Bhupalsinh alias Pawan Rajenimbalkar

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF JAL SHAKTI, DEPARTMENT OF WATER RESOURCES, RIVER DEVELOPMENT & GANGA REJUVENATION

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 64

## †30 ANSWERED ON 11 .0 7.2019

## RIVER INTER - LINKING PROJECTS

## †3064. SHRI OMPRAKASH BHUPALSINH ALIAS PAWAN RAJENIMBALKAR

Will the Minister of JAL SHAKTI  be pleased to state:

(a) the steps being taken by the Government to deal with the drought conditions in the coun Maharashtra;

(b) the latest status of riv er linking project which has been the priority of the Government;

(c) whether there has been regular water crisis in Usmanabad region, causing lot of hardship and if so, the details thereof;

(d) whether the Krishna -Marathwada Irrigation Pro ject has been pending for a long time; and

(e) if so, the details thereof and manner in which allocation of funds is likely to be made along with the time by which the project is likely to be approved/implemented and the alloc be made?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR JAL SHAKTI & SOCIAL JUSTICE AND EMPOWERMENT

## (SHRI RATTAN LAL KATARIA )

(a), (d) & (e) The State Governments are primarily responsible for taking immediate measures wake of all natural calamities. The Government of India provides assistance to the State through financial and logistic support. The State Governments have ready availability of funds in the Stat Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) for taking immediate measures in the wake of all natural c including drought.   Additional assistance over and above SDRF, is considered from Nation Response  Fund  (NDRF),for  natural  calamities  of  severe  nature,  in  accordance  with  an  es procedure and on submission of a Memorandum for Central assistance by the affected State. assistance from SDRF and NDRF in the wake of natural calamities is for immediate relief only and not by way of compensation for the loss suffered.

Moreover, the Water Resources Projects are planned, funded, executed and maintained State Governments themselves as per their own resources and priority. In order to supplement r efforts, Government of India provides technical and financial assistance to State Governments on their

During  2016 - 17,  ninety - nine  (99)  on -going  Major/Medium  irrigation  projects  under  Pradhan  Mant Krishi  Sinchayee  Yojana (PMKSY) - Accelerated  Irrigation  Benefits  Programme  (AIBP)  have  bee prioritized  in  consultation  with  States,  for  completion  in  phases  along  with  their  Co Development & Water Management (CADWM) works. Out of the 99 prioritized projects, 59 proje cts are benefitting/partially benefitting the drought prone areas and hence are contributing in dro Out of 59 prioritised projects, as mentioned above, 14 projects are from Maharashtra unde -AIBP. In addition to above, a Special Pac kage for completion of Irrigation Projects to address ag distress in Vidarbha, Marathwada and other chronically drought prone areas of Rest of Maha been approved during 2018 - 19.

The  Krishna - Marathwada  Irrigation  Project  is  not  under  PMKSY .  The  State  Government  of Maharashtra has informed that Administrative approval to the Krishna - Marathwada Irrigation Project was accorded by Government of Maharashtra in August, 2007and the actual work started in the mont 2008.

The  Government  ofMaharashtra  has  informed  that  the  budget  allocation  to  Kri -Marathwada Irrigation Project along with the Krishna - Bhima Stabilization for 2019 -is Rs. 500 cr. The project is planned for completion in next four years as per availability of funds to the project.

(b) The National Perspective Plan (NPP) was prepared by the then Ministry of Irrigation (no of Jal Shakti) in August 1980 for water resources development through inter basin transfer transferring water from water surplu s basins to water - d ficit basins. Under the NPP, the National Wat Development Agency (NWDA) has identified 30 links (16 under Peninsular Component and 14 u Himalayan Component) for preparation of Feasibility Reports (FRs). Under the NPP, four pri y links have also been identified for preparation of Detailed Project Reports (DPRs) under the Peni Component viz; Ken - Betwa link project (KBLP), Damanganga - Pinjal link project, Par - Tapi - Narmada link project and Godavari - Cauvery link project. The DPRs in respect of Ken -Betwa link project, Damanganga -Pinjal link project and Par - Tapi - Narmada link project have been prepared and sent to concerned St The Draft DPR of Godavari - Cauvery link project has been completed and circulated to party State s.

(c) Central Water Commission (CWC) is monitoring live storage status of 91 reservoirs of the weekly basis and issues weekly bulletin. In Maharashtra there are seventeen (17) reservoirs monitoring. There is one Bhima/Ujjani reser voir under CWC monitoring of 91 Major reservoirs. Thi project benefits the districts of Solapur and Osmanabad in Maharashtra State. As per Reser Bulletin dated 04.07.2019, the total live storage available in Bhima reservoir is 0.000 BCM is 0% of total live storage capacity of the reservoir. The storage during corresponding period of and average storage of last ten years during corresponding period was 4% of live storage ca reservoir.

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