Lok Sabha Question No. 2649 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2018-12-27
Subject: Inter-linking of Rivers
Ministry: WATER RESOURCES, RIVER DEVELOPMENT AND GANAGA REJUVENATION
Asked by: SUKHBIR SINGH JAUNPURIA

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

## LOK SABHA UN STARRED QUESTION NO. †2649

ANSWERED ON 27.12 .201 8

## INTER - LINKING OF RIVERS

## †2649. SHRI SUKHBIR SINGH JAUNAPURIA

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

(a) whether the Government proposes to link certain rivers in the country;

(b) if so, the details of the ongoing projects in this regard, State/river - wise and the rivers revived so far;

(c) the funds allocated during each of the last three years and the current year for the -wise;

(d) whether the Government proposes to form a law for checking illegal construction on river ba and indiscriminate exploitation of ground water and for water conservation; and

(e) if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

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

## ( SHRI ARJUN RAM MEGHW AL )

(a)  &(b)  The  Government  has  taken  up  the  implementation  of  the  Inter - linking  of  River  (ILR) projects  in  a  consultative  manner.  The  National  Perspective  Plan  (NPP)  was  prepared Ministry of Irrigation (now Ministry of Water Resources, River Development & Ganga Rejuvenation (MoWR, RD & GR)) in August 1980 for transferring water from water surplus basins to water - deficit basins. Under the NPP, the National Water Development Agency (NWDA) identified 30 links under  Peninsular  Component  &  14  under  Himalaya n  Component)  for  preparation  of  Feasibility Reports  (FRs).  The  names  of  Inter  Basin  Water  Transfer  Links,  names  of  rivers  and  th concerned are given in Annexure .

Under  NPP  four  priority  links  have  been  identified  for  preparation  of  Detailed t Reports (DPR) under the Peninsular Rivers Component viz; Ken - Betwa link project (KBLP) Phase -I &  II,  Damanganga - Pinjal  link  project,  Par - Tapi - Narmada  link  project  and  Godavari - C uvery  link project.  The  preparation  of  DPR  of  a  project  is  taken  up  only  af ter  consent  of  concerned  State Governments. Based on the concurrence of the concerned States, DPRs of KBLP Phase -I & Phase -II, Damanganga - Pinjal  link  project  and  Par - Tapi - Narmada  link  project  have  been  completed.  The techno - economic clearance and various s tatutory clearances of the KBLP Phase -I have been accorded except clearance from Central Empowered Committee (CEC) of the Supreme Court. Based on request  of  Government  of  Madhya  Pradesh,  Lower  Orr  dam,  Bina  complex  and  Kotha  barra projects have been included in KBLP Phase -II. The DPR of these projects have been completed by NWDA/Government of Madhya Pradesh. The Environmental Clearance and Forest Land Diversion Clearancesfor Lower Orr dam have been recommended by Expert Appraisal Committee and For est

Advisory Committee of  Ministry  of  Environment,  Forest  and  Climate  Change  (MoEF & CC) respectively. Clearance for Resettlement and Rehabilitation plan of Project Affected Famil been accorded by Ministry of Tribal Affairs ( MoTA) subject to certain conditions. Environmental clearance and Stage -I&II clearances for Bina complex projects have been accorded by MoEF & CC.

The draft Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) for implementation of Ken - Betwa Link Project has been sent to Ut tar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh for concurrence.

The techno -economic clearance of the Damanganga - Pinjal link project has also been accorded,  subject  to  statutory  clearances.  The  DPR  of  Par - Tapi - Narmada  link  project  has  been completed by NWDA. The com bined draft MoA for implementation of Damanganga - Pinjal and Par -Tapi - Narmada Link (including the four intra - sta e link projects of Maharashtra State) has been sen Maharashtra and Gujarat State Governments for concurrence.

(c)An enabling allocation of Rs.100 lakhs for ILR programme has been made in the budget of ea of the last three years including current year. As the ILR projects are not at implemen hence, no expenditure has been incurred on implementation of the ILR projects so far.

(d) & (e) Flood - plain  zoning  is  a  concept  central  to  flood  plain  management.  Flood - plain  zoning measures aim at demarcating zones or areas likely to be affected by floods of different ma frequencies and probability levels, and specify the type s of permissible developments in these zones, so that whenever floods actually occur, the damage can be minimized, if not avoided.

A model draft bill for flood plain zoning legislation was circulated by the Union G in 1975 to all the States, how ever, only States of Manipur, Rajasthan and Uttarakhand had enacted legislation. The bill aims at no hindrance to natural flow of river and mitigation of lik floods. This Ministry has repeatedly impressed upon the State/ UT Governments in this regard.

Moreover, the Ministry of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation has circulated a Model Bill (2005) to all the States/UTs to enable them to enact suitable g legislation for regulation of its development, which includes provision of rain water ha far, 15 States/UTs have adopted and im plemented the ground water legislation on the lines of Mo Bill.

Further, Central Ground Water Authority (CGWA) has been constituted under Section of  the  'Environment  (Protection)  Act,  1986'  for  the  purpose  of  regulation  and  control  of  ground water development and management in the Country. So far, CGWA has notified 162 areas i country where ground water withdrawal through new abstraction structures is not permitte for drinking and domestic uses. CGWA has also issued advisories to the State Governments and UTs from  time  to  time  regarding  water  conservation  and  water  harvesting.  Industries/infr units/mining projects in 23 States/UTs require a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from CG ground  water  extraction,  which  is  grante d  with  mandatory  conditions  aimed  at  ground  water augmentation  and  prevention  of  its  contamination.  Regulatory  measures  are  being  imple through State Ground Water Authorities or through Government Orders in the remaining State

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## ANNEXURE

ANNEXURE  REFERRED  TO IN  REPLY  TO  PART  ( a)  &  ( b)  OF  UNSTARRED  QUEST ION NO. † 2649 TO BE ANSWERED IN LOK SABHA ON 27.1 2.2018 REGARDING 'IN TER - LINKING OF RIVERS'.

## Names of Inter Basin Water Transfer Links, the States involved, name of rivers and status of Feasibility Reports/Detailed Project Report

| Sl. No               | Name                                                   | Rivers                       | States concerned                                                                                   | Status of PFR/FR/DPR          |
|----------------------|--------------------------------------------------------|------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|-------------------------------|
| Peninsular Component | Peninsular Component                                   | Peninsular Component         | Peninsular Component                                                                               | Peninsular Component          |
| 1                    | Mahanadi (Manibhadra) - Godavari (Dowlaiswaram) link   | Mahanadi & Godavari          | Odisha, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, & Chattisgarh                                      | FR Completed                  |
| 2                    | Godavari (Inchampalli) - Krishna (Pulichintala)        | link Godavari & Krishna      | - do-                                                                                              | FR Completed                  |
| 3                    | Godavari (Inchampalli) - Krishna (Nagarjunasagar) link | Godavari & Krishna           | Odisha, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka & Chattisgarh,                      | FR Completed                  |
| 4                    | Godavari (Polavaram) - Krishna (Vijayawada)            | link Godavari & Krishna      | Odisha, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, & Chattisgarh                                      | FR Completed                  |
| 5                    | Krishna (Almatti) - Pennar link                        | Krishna & Pennar             | - do-                                                                                              | FR Completed                  |
| 6                    | Krishna (Srisailam) - Pennar link                      | Krishna & Pennar             | - do-                                                                                              | FR Completed                  |
| 7                    | Krishna (Nagarjunasagar) - Pennar (Somasila ) link     | Krishna & Pennar             | Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh& Karnataka,                                                            | FR Completed                  |
| 8                    | Pennar (Somasila) - Cauvery (Grand Anicut) link        | Pennar & Cauvery             | Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala & Puducherry                                         | FR Completed                  |
| 9                    | Cauvery (Kattalai) -Vaigai - Gundar link               | Cauvery, Vaigai & Gundar     | Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala & Puducherry                                                         | FR Completed                  |
| 10                   | Ken -Betwa link                                        | Ken & Betwa                  | Uttar Pradesh & Madhya Pradesh                                                                     | FR & DPR (Ph- I&II) Completed |
| 11                   | Parbati - Kalisindh - Chambal link                     | Parbati, Kalisindh & Chambal | Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan & Uttar Pradesh (UP requested to be consulted during consensus building) | FR Completed                  |
| 12                   | Par - Tapi - Narmada link                              | Par, Tapi & Narmada          | Maharashtra & Gujarat                                                                              | FR & DPR Completed            |
| 13                   | Damanganga -Pinjal link                                | Damanganga & Pinjal          | Maharashtra & Gujarat                                                                              | FR & DPR Completed            |
| 14                   | Bedti-Varda link                                       | Bedti & Varda                | Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh & Karnataka                                                            | PFR Completed                 |
| 15                   | Netravati - Hemavati link                              | Netravati & Hemavati         | Karnataka, Tamil Nadu & Kerala                                                                     | PFR Completed                 |
| 16                   | Pamba -Achankovil- Vaippar link                        | Pamba, Achankovil & Vaippar  | Kerala & Tamil Nadu,                                                                               | FR Completed                  |

| Sl. No              | Name                                                       | Rivers                         | States concerned                                              | Status of PFR/FR/DPR                     |
|---------------------|------------------------------------------------------------|--------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------|
| Himalayan Component | Himalayan Component                                        | Himalayan Component            | Himalayan Component                                           | Himalayan Component                      |
| 1.                  | Manas - Sankosh- Tista - Ganga (M-S- T-G) link             | Manas - Sankosh- Tista - Ganga | Assam, West Bengal, Bihar& Bhutan                             | PFR completed                            |
| 2.                  | Kosi- Ghaghra link                                         | Kosi & Ghaghra                 | Bihar , Uttar Pradesh & Nepal                                 | PFR completed                            |
| 3.                  | Gandak-Ganga link                                          | Gandak & Ganga                 | - do-                                                         | Draft FR completed (Indian portion)      |
| 4.                  | Ghaghra- Yamuna link                                       | Ghaghra & Yamuna               | - do-                                                         | FR completed (Indian portion)            |
| 5.                  | Sarda - Yamuna link                                        | Sarda & Yamuna                 | Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand & Nepal | FR completed (Indian portion)            |
| 6.                  | Yamuna - Rajasthan link                                    | Yamuna & Sukri                 | Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Haryana & Rajasthan                   | Draft FR completed                       |
| 7.                  | Rajasthan - Sabarmati link                                 | Sabarmati                      | - do-                                                         | Draft FR completed                       |
| 8.                  | Chunar- Sone Barrage link                                  | Ganga & Sone                   | Bihar & Uttar Pradesh                                         | Draft FR completed                       |
| 9.                  | Sone Dam - Southern Tributaries of Ganga                   | link Sone & Badua              | Bihar & Jharkhand                                             | PFR completed                            |
| 10.                 | Ganga(Farakka) - Damodar - Subernarekha link               | Ganga, Damodar & Subernarekha  | West Bengal, Odisha & Jharkhand                               | Draft FR completed                       |
| 11.                 | Subernarekha - Mahanadi link                               | Subernarekha & Mahanadi        | West Bengal & Odisha                                          | Draft FR Completed                       |
| 12.                 | Kosi- Mechi link                                           | Kosi &Mechi                    | Bihar , West Bengal & Nepal                                   | PFR completed Entirely lies in Nepal     |
| 13.                 | Ganga (Farakka) - Sunderbans link                          | Ganga & Ichhamati              | West Bengal                                                   | Draft FR completed                       |
| 14.                 | Jogighopa -Tista - Farakka link (Alternative to M - S-T-G) | Manas, Tista Ganga             | - do-                                                         | (Alternative to M - S-T- G Link) dropped |

- PFR -Pre  Feasibility Report
- FR -Feasibility Report
- DPR -Detailed Project Report