Lok Sabha Question No. 3331 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-03-20
Subject: Scheme to Inter-link the Rivers
Ministry: JAL SHAKTI
Asked by: Shri Amra Ram

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF JAL SHAKTI

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3331

ANSWERED ON 20.03.2025

## SCHEME TO INTER-LINK THE RIVERS

## †3331. SHRI AMRA RAM

Will the Minister of JAL SHAKTI be pleased to state:

(a) whether the Government proposes to implement a scheme to inter-link the rivers in the country;

(b) if so, the details thereof along with the timeline for its implementation and if not, the reasons therefor;

(c) whether it is a fact that half of the country faces floods during the monsoon season while the other half suffers from drought; and

(d) if so, the details thereof along with the schemes implemented/being implemented to address the said issue?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR JAL SHAKTI

## ( SHRI RAJ BHUSHAN CHOUDHARY )

(a)  to (d) The Government of India formulated a National Perspective Plan (NPP) in the year 1980 and the National  Water  Development  Agency  (NWDA)  has been entrusted with the work of  Interlinking  of  Rivers (ILR) under the NPP. The NPP has been formulated for providing storage and transfer of water from the watersurplus basins to the water-deficit basins / regions to minimize the miseries brought by droughts and also to mitigate the ravages of annually recurring floods. These link projects are designed to minimize the non-utilized volume  of  water  going  to  the  sea.  The  flood  water  from  flood  prone/water  surplus  river  basins  would  be diverted  to  water  deficit  regions  and  would  also  recharge  groundwater  tables,  tanks,  and  canals  in  the command areas. Under the NPP, 30 link projects have been identified, 16 link projects under the Peninsular component and 14 link projects under the Himalayan component. Detailed Project Reports (DPRs) of 11 link projects, Feasibility Reports (FRs) of 26 links, and Pre-Feasibility Reports (PFRs) of all the 30 links have been completed.

The implementation of Ken-Betwa Link Project (KBLP),  the first link project under NPP has started. The project is scheduled to be completed by March, 2030. For other link projects under the NPP, the schedule of  completion would depend upon the Party States arriving at the necessary consensus and signing the link specific Memorandum of Agreement for implementation of the respective link projects.

As per a report of the Central Water Commission on 'Assessment of Area Affected Due to Floods in India',  the  total  flood  affected  areas  in  India  are  assessed  as  21.213  million  hectares  (MHa)  and  the  area protected through various steps taken for flood management by the Central/State Governments is assessed as 20.538 MHa.

Flood management including erosion control falls within the purview of the States. Flood management and  anti-erosion  schemes  are  formulated  and  implemented  by  concerned  State  Governments  as  per  their priority. The Government of India supplements the efforts of the States by providing technical guidance and also  promotional  financial  assistance  for  management  of  floods  in  critical  areas.  For  providing  Central Assistance  to  the  States  for  works  related  to  river  management,  flood  control,  anti-erosion,  drainage development, anti-sea  erosion, etc,  Flood  Management Programme (FMP) scheme was implemented by the Government of India, during 11th and 12th Plan, which subsequently continued as a component of the Flood Management and Border Areas Programme (FMBAP) scheme for the period from 2017-18 to 2020-21 and further  extended  up  to  September,  2022.  Subsequently,  in  February  2024,  the  Union  Cabinet  has  approved FMBAP scheme with an outlay of Rs. 4,100 crores for a period of 5 years from 2021-22 to 2025-26.

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