Lok Sabha Question No. 79 (STARRED), answered on 2025-12-04
Subject: River Linking Projects involving Andhra Pradesh
Ministry: JAL SHAKTI
Asked by: Shri Appalanaidu Kalisetti

## THE MINISTER OF JAL SHAKTI

(SHRI C R PAATIL)

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

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF JAL SHAKTI

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

## LOK SABHA

## STARRED QUESTION NO. *79

ANSWERED ON 04.12.2025

## RIVER LINKING PROJECTS INVOLVING ANDHRA PRADESH

## *79. SHRI APPALANAIDU KALISETTI:

Will the Minister of JAL SHAKTI be pleased to state:

(a)  the  details  of  river-linking  projects  involving  Andhra  Pradesh  including  the  names  of  rivers  project components, Detailed Project Report (DPR) status, approval status and the present stage of implementation, project-wise;

(b) the funds approved, allocated, released and utilised for each such project during the last five years, yearwise along with the share of the Union Government and the State Government therein;

(c) the timelines originally approved for each project, any revisions made and the reasons for delays, if any, including  administrative,  financial,  land  acquisition,  environmental  clearance  or  inter-State  coordination issues;

(d) the expected quantitative benefits of these projects for Andhra Pradesh including creation of additional irrigation potential, planned drinking water supply, flood-moderation and the number of districts expected to benefit therefrom; and

(e)  whether  the  Government  has  received  any  pending,  revised  or  new  proposals  or  DPRs  from  Andhra Pradesh for additional river-linking projects and if so, the details thereof along with the current appraisal and approval status of each such proposal?

## ANSWER

## STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PARTS (a) TO (e) OF STARRED QUESTION NO. *79  TO  BE  ANSWERED  ON  04.12.2025  IN  LOK  SABHA  REGARDING  'RIVER  LINKING PROJECTS INVOLVING ANDHRA PRADESH'

(a) 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  7  ILR  projects  involving  the  State  of  Andhra Pradesh, details of which are provided at Annexure .

Among these, the Godavari (Polavaram)-Krishna (Vijayawada) Link Project is one of the links under the Peninsular Component of the National Perspective Plan (1980). The feasibility report for this project was prepared  by  NWDA  in  September  1999.  Subsequently,  the  link  was  taken  over  by  the  State  of  Andhra Pradesh under the Indirasagar Polavaram Project, and the Detailed Project Report (DPR) was submitted to the Central Water Commission (CWC) in 2005. The DPR was approved in 2009 for diversion of 4666 MCM through the Right Main Canal.

Following the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh, the link came under the Polavaram Project Authority as part of the Polavaram Irrigation National Project, declared under the Andhra Pradesh Re-organization Act, 2014.The water connectivity in the link canal  has been established and canal has been put into temporary operation through lift arrangements.

Other than the above, no ILR project under the National Perspective Plan involving Andhra Pradesh has reached the stage of implementation.

(b) The  Polavaram  Irrigation  Project  (PIP),  which  also  encompasses  the  Godavari  (Polavaram)-Krishna (Vijayawada)  Link  Project,  is  being  implemented  in  the  State  of  Andhra  Pradesh  and  has  been  receiving sustained financial support from the Government of India. Between 2014 and 2024, an amount of ₹15,146 crore  was  reimbursed  to  the  State  Government.  The  Government  of  India  approved  the  Revised  Cost Estimate  of  ₹30,436  crore  with  an  additional  central  assistance  of  ₹12,157  crore  to  facilitate  timely completion  of  the  project.  The  cumulative  Central  Assistance  /financial  support  extended  to  the  State  of Andhra Pradesh for the Polavaram Irrigation Project stands at ₹20,658 crore till date.

## (c) & (d) The details in this regards are given at Annexure.

(e) The Government of Andhra Pradesh has submitted the Pre-Feasibility Report (PFR) of the PolavaramBanakacherla  Link  Project,  which  envisages  the  transfer  of  flood  waters  from  the  Polavaram  Dam  to  the Banakacherla Regulator. The project has an estimated cost of ₹81,900 crore. The PFR was submitted to the Central Water Commission (CWC) on 22 May 2022 for techno-economic appraisal. The submitted PFR has been  forwarded  to  Krishna  River  Management  Board  (KRMB),  Godavari  River  Management  Board (GRMB),  Polavaram  Project  Authority (PPA)  Hyderabad, and the co-basin states like Telangana, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Odisha, Madhya Pradesh, and Chhattisgarh for their views/comments.

***

## ANNEXURE

## ANNEXURE REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PART (a), (c) & (d)  OF  LOK  SABHA  STARRED QUESTION  NO.  *79  TO  BE  ANSWERED  ON  04.12.2025  REGARDING  'RIVER  LINKING PROJECTS INVOLVING ANDHRA PRADESH'

Status and benefits of ILR projects involving Andhra Pradesh

|   Sl.N o | Name                                                                           | States benefited               | Annual Irrigation (Lakh ha)   | Domestic& Industrial (MCM)                 | Hydro power (MW)   | Status                                                                                                                         |
|----------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------|--------------------------------|-------------------------------|--------------------------------------------|--------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|        1 | a.Mahanadi (Manibhadra) -Godavari (Dowlaiswaram) link                          | Andhra Pradesh (AP) and Odisha | 4.43                          | 802                                        | 445                | Feasibility Report completed                                                                                                   |
|        1 | Alternate Mahanadi (Barmul) - Rushikulya - Godavari link                       | Odisha                         | 3.52                          | 493.70                                     | 210                |                                                                                                                                |
|        1 | (Dowlaiswaram)                                                                 | AP                             | 0.91                          | 91.3 (Drinking water) and 115 (Industrial) |                    | Feasibility Report completed                                                                                                   |
|        2 | Godavari (Polavaram) - Krishna (Vijayawada) link                               | AP                             | 1.29                          | 33.41                                      | 960                | Project was taken over by State Govt. for DPR preparation and implementation. Now being implemented by PPA as National Project |
|        3 | Godavari (Inchampalli/                                                         | Telangana                      | 0.36                          | 26.28                                      | 90                 | DPR completed                                                                                                                  |
|        3 | SSMPP) - Krishna                                                               | AP                             | 4.38                          | 319.7                                      | ---                | DPR completed                                                                                                                  |
|        4 | a.) Krishna (Nagarjunasagar) - Pennar (Somasila ) link                         | AP                             | 1.68                          | 124                                        | 90                 | Feasibility Report completed                                                                                                   |
|        4 | b.)Alternate under GC link: Krishna (Nagarjunasagar) - Pennar (Somasila ) link | AP                             | 1.71                          | 236                                        | 40                 | DPR completed                                                                                                                  |
|        5 | Krishna (Srisailam) - Pennar link                                              | AP                             | 1.79                          | 58                                         | 11                 | DPR Completed                                                                                                                  |
|        6 | Krishna (Almatti) -                                                            | Karnataka                      | 0.69                          | 66.31                                      |                    |                                                                                                                                |
|        6 | Pennar link                                                                    | AP                             | 1.57                          | 10.1(Drinkin g water) & 22.3 (Industrial)  | --                 | DPR Completed                                                                                                                  |
|        7 | a.) Pennar (Somasila) - Cauvery (Grand Anicut)                                 | AP                             | 0.49                          | 1105                                       | --                 | Feasibility Report completed                                                                                                   |
|        7 |                                                                                | Tamil Nadu                     | 4.36                          |                                            |                    |                                                                                                                                |
|        7 | link                                                                           | Puducherry                     | 0.06                          |                                            |                    |                                                                                                                                |
|        7 | b.) Alternate Pennar                                                           | AP                             | 0.51                          | 43                                         |                    |                                                                                                                                |
|        7 | (Somasila) - Cauvery                                                           | Tamil Nadu                     | 1.14                          | 618                                        |                    | DPR completed                                                                                                                  |
|        7 | (Grand Anicut) link                                                            | Puducherry                     | --                            | 62                                         |                    |                                                                                                                                |

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