Lok Sabha Question No. 208 (STARRED), answered on 2025-03-13
Subject: Loss of Wildlife Habitats due to River Interlinking Projects
Ministry: JAL SHAKTI
Asked by: Shri Rajiv Pratap Rudy

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF JAL SHAKTI

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

## LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. *208

ANSWERED ON 13.03.2025

## LOSS OF WILDLIFE HABITATS DUE TO RIVER INTERLINKING PROJECTS

*208. SHRI RAJIV PRATAP RUDY:

Will the Minister of JAL SHAKTI be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the river interlinking projects undertaken by the Government have resulted in the loss of tiger reserves and wildlife habitats;
- (b)  if  so,  the  details  thereof  including  the  tiger  reserves  affected  and  the  extent  of  habitat  loss  in  each reserve;
- (c)  the  ecological  and  environmental  impact  assessments  conducted  before  the  implementation  of  these projects;
- (d) whether the Government has considered/is planning to implement measures to ensure that future river interlinking  projects  are  designed  in  a  manner  that  prevents  the  loss  of  wildlife  habitats,  including  tiger reserves and if so, the details thereof;
- (e)  the  steps  taken/being  taken  by  the  Government  to  mitigate  the  adverse  impacts  of  existing  river interlinking projects on biodiversity and to restore habitats already affected; and
- (f) whether the Government is collaborating with other departments or organizations to adopt eco-sensitive designs and approaches for infrastructure development in wildlife-rich areas and if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF JAL SHAKTI

(SHRI C R PAATIL)

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

## STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PARTS (a) TO (f) OF STARRED QUESTION NO. *208 TO BE ANSWERED ON 13.03.2025 IN LOK SABHA REGARDING 'LOSS OF WILDLIFE HABITATS DUE TO RIVER INTERLINKING PROJECTS'

(a) & (b) The Government of India formulated the National Perspective Plan (NPP) in the year 1980 for the transfer of water from water-surplus basins to the water-deficit basins/ regions of the country. Under the NPP, 30 Interlinking of Rivers (ILR) projects have been identified. The Ken-Betwa Link Project (KBLP) is the first ILR project under the NPP, that is under implementation. The total tiger habitat in and around the Panna Tiger Reserve (PTR), Madhya Pradesh to be under submergence and for logistic usage in the Ken Betwa Link Project is about 6017 hectares (5761 hectares and 256 hectares respectively).

(c)  to  (e) For  every  ILR  project,  a  study  for  detailed  Environmental  Impact  Assessment  (EIA)  is undertaken at the stage of preparation of Feasibility Reports (FRs) and Detailed Project Reports (DPRs). An EIA study aims at the identification of the positive and negative impacts of the project on the physical, biological,  and  socio-economic  environment.  Detailed  studies  on  soil  type,  climate  type,  groundwater quality,  biological  environment,  floral  diversity,  forests  and  wildlife,  groundwater  recharge,  change  of hydrological regime of the river, public health aspects, employment potential generated, project affected families,  submergence  area,  etc.  and  other  socio-economic  characteristics  are  done  at  the  stage  of preparation of DPRs  and the Environment Management Plan (EMP) to mitigate the assessed environmental, ecological and wildlife impacts.

As  regards  the  Ken-Betwa  Link  Project,  which  is  the  first  ILR  project  under  implementation, detailed EIA studies done for the project and the mitigation measures as proposed in the DPR have been examined  and  analyzed  thoroughly  by  the  Expert  Advisory  Committee  (EAC)  of  the  Ministry  of Environment,  Forest  and  Climate  Change  (MoEF&CC)  and  the  National  Board  of  Wild  Life  (NBWL), while  communicating  the  Environmental  and  Wildlife  clearances  to  the  project.  Further,  as  per  the directions of the NBWL, an Integrated Landscape Management Plan (ILMP) was prepared, in June 2022, by the Wildlife Institute of India (WII), Dehradun under the supervision of the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA), PTR, Forest Departments of both the States of Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh and the MoEF&CC. ILMP aims to provide better habitat, keep the wildlife corridor connecting to other Protect Areas (PAs) intact, overall protection & management of flagship species (tiger, vultures, and gharial), and biodiversity conservation covering not only the PTR region but also the surrounding fragile wildlife areas in the two States. A Greater Panna Landscape Council (GPLC) under the chairmanship of Chief Secretary, Government of Madhya Pradesh was constituted in February 2023, for systematic implementation of this ILMP  in  a  time-bound  manner.  One  meeting  of  the  GPLC  and  two  meetings  of  a  Sub-Committee constituted under the GPLC have been held so far.

(f) As intimated by the MoEF&CC, in order to address the challenges of harmonizing conservation and development, the MoEF&CC has published a scientific guidance document titled "Eco-friendly measures to  mitigate  Impacts  of  Linear  Infrastructure  on  Wildlife".  A  copy  of  the  said  document  is  available  at https://ntca.gov.in/documents/#reports2  (Mitigation manual for Linear Infrastructure).

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