Lok Sabha Question No. 1678 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2021-02-11
Subject: Water Projects in Tamil Nadu
Ministry: JAL SHAKTI
Asked by: S. Gnanathiraviam, Bhagwant Mann

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1678

## ANSWERED ON 11 .02.2021

## WATER PROJECTS IN TA MIL NADU

## 1678. SHRI GNANATHIRAVIAM S. SHRI BHAGWANT MANN

Will the Minister of JAL SHAKTI be pleased to state:

(a) whether the Union Government is considering to provide financial assistance for water p country and if so, the details thereof;

(b) whether the Government is considering to pr ovide financial assistance for three water projects Godavari - Cauvery, Cauvery - Gundar and Nadanthai Vazhi - Cauvery in the State of Tamil Nadu and if s the details thereof;

(c) whether these three water projects are essential for the welfare of the people and the agriculturists o Tamil Nadu and if so, the details thereof; and

(d) the details of financial assistance provided by the Union Government to the State of meet the cost of the said three water Projects?

## ANSWER

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

## (SHRI RATTAN LAL KATARIA )

(a)  Water  resources  development  & management  are  planned,  funded,  executed  and  maintained  by State Governments themselves as per their own resources and priorities. In order to supplement the effort of  the  State  Governments,  Government  of  India  provides  technical  and  financial  assis ta ce  to  State Governments to encourage sustainable development and efficient management of water resource various schemes and programmes, such as, Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana with subcom as Accelerated Irrigation Benefits Progra mme, Har Khet Ko Pani (HKKP) -Command Area Development & Water  Management,  HKKP - Surface  Minor  Irrigation  /  Repair,  Renovation  and  Restoration( HKKP - Ground Water Irrigation, Per Drop More Crop & Watershed Development, Flood Management Boarder  Area s  Programme,  Special  Package  for  Irrigation  Projects  in  Maharashtra,  Nation Conservation Plan(NRCP) - other than Ganga Basin, Atal Bhujal Yojana etc.

Government of India in partnership with States, is implementing centrally sponsored pro Jeevan Mission - Har Ghar Jal, which aims at providing potable water through tap water connectio household across the country, by 2024. The total estimated outlay of the Mission is Rs.3 .60 lakh crore out of which Rs. 2.08 lakh crore is a central shar e.

(b) to (d) The Godavari -Cauvery link comprises of three links namely Godavari (Inchampalli/Jana -Krishna  (Nagarjunasagar),  Krishna  (Nagarjunasagar) - Pennar  (Somasila)  &  Pennar  (Somasila) -Cauvery (Grand Anicut ) link projects. The link project as per draft Detailed Project Report (DPR) annual irrigation of 9.38 lakh ha in States of Telangana, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. Abo ha of new areas lying in Tiruvallur, Vellore, Kancheepuram, T iruvannamalai and Villupuram districts o Tamil Nadu will be provided with assured irrigation under the link project. About 1.43 lakh ayacut under Cauvery delta would also be stabilised. Out of 905 MCM of water provided for Domestic & Indus trial uses, 459 MCM benefits Tamil Nadu State. Besides this, about 5553 MW of Solar pow generated  by  canal  top  solar  panels.  The  DPR  of  this  project  is  presently  under  finalis feasible  comments/views  of  party  States.  National  Water  D evelopment  Agency(NWDA)  completed  the pre - feasibility,  feasibility  and  detailed  project  reports  of the  Cauvery - Vaigai - Gundar link  project  of National  Perspective  Plan  (NPP)  and  circulated  to  the  party  States.  As  per  DPR,  the link  project willprovideirrigation to an area of 4.48 lakh ha in the districts of Karur, Tiruchirapalli, Pud Sivaganga, Ramanathapuram, Virudhunagar and Thoothukudi of Tamil Nadu State. Apart from irrigation, it  is  also  proposed  to  provide  domestic  water  supply  to 28  lakh  population and  industrial  water requirements in the command area through the project.

The Cauvery (Kattalai) - Vaigai - Gundar  link  is  an  integral  part  of  the  Mahanadi - Godavari Krishna - Pennar - Cauvery- Vaigai - Gundar scheme of peninsular river links system formulated for inte transfer  of  water  from  surplus  basins  to  deficit  basins  under  NPP. As the quantum of diversion from preceding links originating from Mahanadi and further supplementation from Himalayan c omponent of NPP has reduced as per latest studies, the quantum of water proposed for diversion through th are being further firmed up accordingly. A draft Cabinet Note for funding of all the Inter - linking of Rivers (ILR)  projects  has  been  c irculated  among  various  Ministries/Departments.  All  the  ILR  projec enhance the water availability for irrigation, domestic and industrial needs of the comman towns/cities which will benefit the common people as well as agriculturists t o a greater extent.

Government of Tamil Nadu has submitted a proposal in December, 2020 for 'Nadanthai Vazhi -Cauvery' Project with an amount of Rs.713.39 crore under National River Conservation Plan for pollution abatement  and  conservation  of  river  Cauve ry  and  requested  for  consideration  the  same  accordin National River Conservation Directorate (NRCD) has gone through the report and forwarded t for Third Party Appraisal by Environment Protection Training and Research Institute (EPTRI), abad in December, 2020.

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