Lok Sabha Question No. 220 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-07-20
Subject: Inter-linking of Rivers
Ministry: JAL SHAKTI
Asked by: Dibyendu Adhikari

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF JAL SHAKTI

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

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 220

ANSWERED ON 20.07.2023

## INTER-LINKING OF RIVERS

## 220. SHRI DIBYENDU ADHIKARI

Will the Minister of JAL SHAKTI be pleased to state:

(a)  whether  the  Government  proposes  to  interlink  five  river  links  -  Daman  Ganga-Pinjal,  Par TapiNarmada, Godavari-Krishna, Krishna-Pennar, Ganga, Damodar-Subernarekha and Pennar-Cauveri to develop remote water transport;

(b) if so, the present status and the reaction of the States thereon; and

(c) the details of proposal of National Water Development Agency towards accelerating the projects?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR JAL SHAKTI

## ( SHRI BISHWESWAR TUDU )

(a)  to  (c) National  Perspective  Plan  (NPP)  for  Water  Resources  Development  was  formulated  by Government of India in 1980. NPP comprises two components, viz., Himalayan Rivers Development component  and  Peninsular  Rivers  Development  component.  A  total  of  30  link  projects  have  been identified under the NPP; 14 link projects under Himalayan Rivers Development Component and 16 link projects under Peninsular Rivers Development Component. National Water Development Agency (NWDA) has been entrusted with the work of Interlinking of Rivers (ILR) under the NPP.

Damanganga-Pinjal  link;  Par-Tapi-Narmada  link;  and  Godavari  (Inchampalli)-  Cauvery  (Grand Anicut) link project comprising 3 segments, viz., Godavari (Inchampalli) - Krishna (Nagarjunasagar), Krishna (Nagarjunasagar) - Pennar (Somasila) and Pennar (Somasila) - Cauvery (Grand Anicut) link projects are under the Peninsular Component. Ganga-Damodar-Subernarekha link project  is under the Himalayan Component of NPP.  Present status of these ILR projects  is furnished at Annexure .

Detailed Project Report (DPR) / Feasibility Report (FR) of the above river link projects have been prepared for water transfer from water surplus regions to water deficit regions, after fulfilling all the enroute water demands for irrigation, domestic and industrial water requirements and incidental hydropower  generation.  Development  of  remote  water  transport  has,  however,  not  been  envisaged  while preparing the DPR/FR of the ILR projects.

The Government is making all efforts by pursuing the ILR programme in a consultative manner. A 'Special Committee  on Interlinking of Rivers' was constituted in September, 2014 for the implementation  of  ILR  programme.  20  meetings  of  the  Special  Committee  have  been  held  so  far. Further, a "Task Force for Interlinking of Rivers" was also constituted in April, 2015 for expediting the works under the ILR programme. 17 meetings of the Task Force have been held so far. The States have wide representation in both the Special Committee and the Task Force. DPRs of the link projects after completion, are sent to the concerned States  and consultation meeting held with the party States  for consensus building  on  water  sharing  and  other  related  issues.  It  is  for  the  party  States  to  reach  at  a consensus for taking an ILR project to implementation stage.

ANNEXURE REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PART (a) TO (c) OF UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 220 ANSWERED IN LOK SABHA ON 20.07.2023 REGARDING 'INTER-LINKING OF RIVERS'.

Details  and  current  status  of  the  proposals  under  the  Inter  Linking  of  Rivers  Programme mentioned in second para of the reply: -

|   Sl. No | Name of the link project                               | States benefited                          | Annual Irrigation (lakh hactare)   | Domestic& Industrial (Mm 3 )   | Hydro power (Mega Watt)   | Status        |
|----------|--------------------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------|------------------------------------|--------------------------------|---------------------------|---------------|
|        1 | Damanganga - Pinjal link                               | Maharashtra                               | --                                 | 895                            | 5                         | DPR completed |
|        2 | Par-Tapi-Narmada link (As per DPR)                     | Gujarat and Maharashtra                   | 2.32 (2.28+ 0.04)                  | 126                            | 21                        | DPR completed |
|        3 | Godavari (Inchampalli) - Krishna (Nagarjunasagar) link | Telangana                                 | 3.67                               | 140                            | 60                        | DPR completed |
|        4 | Krishna (Nagarjunasagar) - Pennar (Somasila ) link     | Andhra Pradesh                            | 2.94                               | 218                            | 90                        | DPR completed |
|        5 | Pennar (Somasila) - Cauvery (Grand Anicut) link        | Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry | 2.83 (0.51+ 2.32)                  | 1098 (62+ 1036)                |                           | DPR completed |
|        6 | Ganga (Farakka) - Damodar-Subarnarekha link            | West Bengal, Odisha and Jharkhand         | 12.30 (11.18+ 0.39+ 0.73)          | 432                            | --                        | FR completed  |

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