Lok Sabha Question No. 171 (STARRED), answered on 2025-07-31
Subject: Inter-linking of Rivers
Ministry: JAL SHAKTI
Asked by: Dr. Shivaji Bandappa Kalge, Shri Bhumare Sandipanrao Asaram

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF JAL SHAKTI

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

## LOK SABHA

## STARRED QUESTION NO. *171

ANSWERED ON 31.07.2025

## INTER-LINKING OF RIVERS

| †*171.                                                                                                                                                  | DR. SHIVAJI BANDAPPA KALGE SHRI BHUMARE SANDIPANRAO ASARAM   |
|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------|
| Will the Minister of JAL SHAKTI be pleased to state: (a) whether the Government has any proposal to inter-link the rivers to address water shortage and |                                                              |
| Daman &Diu; (b) if so, the details thereof;                                                                                                             |                                                              |
| (c) the estimated cost likely to be incurred and the timeline fixed for the implementation of the projects                                              |                                                              |
| thereunder in the said States/UTs, project-wise; and                                                                                                    |                                                              |
| said States/UTs?                                                                                                                                        | the said projects, if any, in the                            |
| THE MINISTER OF JAL SHAKTI                                                                                                                              |                                                              |
| (SHRI C R PAATIL)                                                                                                                                       |                                                              |
|                                                                                                                                                         | (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. *171 TO BE ANSWERED ON 31.07.2025 IN LOK SABHA REGARDING 'INTER-LINKING OF RIVERS'

(a) & (b) The Government of India has formulated the National Perspective Plan (NPP), under which 30 Interlinking of Rivers (ILR) projects have been identified to address water scarcity and augment irrigation facilities across the country. The National Water Development Agency (NWDA) has been entrusted with implementing the ILR projects under the NPP.

There  are  three  Interlinking  of  Rivers  (ILR)  projects  benefiting  the  State  of  Maharashtra,  and  two ILR projects benefiting the State of Madhya Pradesh. The details of ILR projects benefiting Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh are provided at Annexure . There is no River Interlinking project that serves Union Territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu.

In addition to above, NWDA has received proposals to study 20 intrastate River linking projects in the state of Maharashtra. Prefeasibility reports have been prepared and submitted by NWDA. Further, the Detailed Project Reports (DPRs) of 3 intrastate link proposals viz; Wainganga (Goshikurd) - Nalganga (Purna Tapi), Damanganga (Ekdare) - Godavari Valley and Damanganga-Vaitarna-Godavari link project, have been prepared and submitted by NWDA to the Government of Maharashtra.

(c) Ken - Betwa Link Project (KBLP) is the only project of NPP under implementation with an estimated cost of Rs. 44,605 crores. The project is planned to be completed in span of 8 years by March 2030.

(d) To address environmental and social concerns of the River Interlinking Projects, the Environmental Impact  Assessment  (EIA)  is  done.  In  case  of  Ken  -  Betwa  Link  Project,  An  Integrated  Landscape Management  Plan  (ILMP)  has  been   prepared  to  improve  habitat  quality,  maintain  critical  wildlife corridors linking adjacent Protected Areas (PAs), and to enable the holistic protection and management of flagship species-including tigers, vultures, and gharials-as well as promote biodiversity conservation within Panna Tiger Reserve (PTR)  and its surrounding ecologically sensitive zones. To ensure systematic and  time-bound  implementation  of  the  ILMP,  a  Greater  Panna  Landscape  Council  (GPLC)  has  been constituted under the chairmanship of the Chief Secretary, Government of Madhya Pradesh.

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## ANNEXURE

## ANNEXURE  REFERRED  TO  IN  REPLY  TO  PART  (a)  &  (b)  OF  LOK  SABHA  STARRED QUESTION NO. *171 TO BE ANSWERED ON 31.07.2025 REGARDING 'INTER-LINKING OF RIVERS'

## Status and benefits of ILR projects benefiting Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh

| Sl. No   | Name                                                                   | States benefited                                     | Annual Irrigation (Lakh ha)                      | Domestic& Industrial (MCM)                                        | Status                                          |
|----------|------------------------------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------|
|          | Maharashtra                                                            | Maharashtra                                          | Maharashtra                                      | Maharashtra                                                       | Maharashtra                                     |
| 1        | Damanganga - Pinjal link                                               | Maharashtra (only water supply to Mumbai)            | --                                               | 895                                                               | DPR completed                                   |
| 2        | Par-Tapi-Narmada link                                                  | Gujarat                                              | 2.28                                             | 76                                                                | DPR completed                                   |
| 2        |                                                                        | Maharashtra                                          | 0.04                                             | --                                                                |                                                 |
| 3        | Godavari (Polavaram) - Krishna (Vijayawada) link                       | Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Maharashtra and Telangana | 1.94                                             | 33.41                                                             | FR Completed                                    |
|          | Madhya Pradesh                                                         | Madhya Pradesh                                       | Madhya Pradesh                                   | Madhya Pradesh                                                    | Madhya Pradesh                                  |
| 1        | Modified Parbati - Kalisindh- Chambal link (duly integrated with ERCP) | Madhya Pradesh (MP) and Rajasthan                    | 3.38 (as per draft PFR) MP - 2.58 Rajasthan- 0.8 | As per draft PFR: Rajasthan- Domestic-1723 MCM Industrial-286 MCM | Draft Pre Feasibility Report (PFR) completed    |
| 2        | Ken-Betwa link                                                         | Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh                     | 10.62 (2.51 +8.11)                               | 194                                                               | DPR completed & implementation has been started |

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