Lok Sabha Question No. 30 (STARRED), answered on 2022-12-08
Subject: DPR of Inter-linking of Rivers
Ministry: JAL SHAKTI
Asked by: Raksha Nikhil Khadse

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF JAL SHAKTI,

## DEPARTMENT OF WATER RESOURCES, RIVER DEVELOPMENT & GANGA REJUVENATION

## LOK  SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. *30

## ANSWERED ON 08.12.2022

## DPR OF INTER-LINKING OF RIVERS

## *30 SHRIMATI RAKSHA NIKHIL KHADSE

Will the Minister of JAL SHAKTI be pleased to state:

(a)  whether  the  Government  has  prepared  draft  DPR  for  five  river  linking  projects  in  the  country  and mentioned in the recent budget 2022-23 that once the consensus is reached among the beneficiary States, the Government would provide for its implementation and if so, the details thereof;

(b) whether any States have specifically objected or have expressed any reservations which are causing delay in implementation of these river linking projects and if so, the details thereof including the nature of the objections;

(c) whether the Government proposes to include in these five draft DPR the other pending projects on the respective rivers which are going to be linked together including river-basin area relating to ground water recharge/conservation/irrigation project(s) especially for Par-Tapi-Narmada river linking project; and (d) if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF JAL SHAKTI (SHRI GAJENDRA SINGH SHEKHAWAT)

(a) to (d) A statement is laid on the Table of the House.

## STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PARTS (a) to (d) OF STARRED QUESTION NO. *30  TO  BE  ANSWERED  ON  08.12.2022  REGARDING  'DPR  OF  INTER-LINKING  OF RIVERS'.

(a) & (b) The five river linking projects for which draft Detailed Project Reports (DPRs) were completed, as mentioned in the speech of Union Minister of Finance on 01.02.2022 for Union Budget for financial year  2022-23,  include  Damanganga-Pinjal  and  Par-Tapi-Narmada  link  projects  apart  from  the  three components of the Godavari (Inchampalli)-Cauvery(Grand Anicut) link project, viz; Godavari (Inchampalli)-Krishna (Nagarjunasagar), Krishna (Nagarjunasagar)-Pennar (Somasila) and Pennar (Somasila)-Cauvery (Grand Anicut) links.These links projects are among the 30 link projects identified under the National Perspective Plan (NPP) prepared by the Government of India.

Damanganga-Pinjal and Par-Tapi-Narmada link projects are twin link projects concerning the States of Maharashtra  and  Gujarat.   DPR  of  Damanganga-Pinjal  link  was  circulated  to  the  States  in  2014  and accorded  techno-economic  clearance  in  2016  while  revised  DPR   of  Par-Tapi-Narmada  link  was circulated  to  the  States  in  2017.  Various  consultation  meetings  have  been  held  by  the  Government  of India.

As envisaged under the NPP, Godavari is to be augmented by transfer of surplus waters from Mahanadi and Brahmaputra basins, for further diversion of waters to Krishna, Pennar and Cauvery basins. Pending consensus on Mahanadi-Godavari and Godavari (Inchampalli)-Krishna link projects, alternative studies to divert surplus waters available in Godavari basin and unutilized waters in Indravati sub-basin of Godavari basin through Godavari-Cauvery link project were carried out by National Water Development Agency (NWDA). This link project traverses through Godavari, Krishna, Pennar, Palar and Cauvery basins and lies in the States of Telangana, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu.

The DPRs of Godavari (Inchampalli)-Cauvery(Grand Anicut) link project were prepared in consultation with the party States and circulated to them in April, 2021. The party States have raised concerns related to  surplus  waters  availability  in  Godavari  basin  and  quantum  of  allocation  of  waters  to  the  States. Consultation meetings with party States/Union Territory (UT) have been held and as decided during the meeting held on 18.02.2022, a Technical Feasibility Report (TFR) has also been prepared by NWDA to recast  the  proposal  limiting  the  transfer  of  waters  from  7,000  Million  Cubic  Metres  (MCM)  to  about 4,000  MCM  from  Godavari  basin,  in  the  interim  phase,  along  with  combining  the  proposal  for supplementation in Krishna basin through Bedti-Varda link. The consultation meeting was last held on 18.10.2022 and efforts made for the party States to arrive at a consensus for implementation of the link project.

The implementation of the link projects depends upon the party States to arrive at a consensus.

(c) & (d) No such proposal is under consideration.