GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
Ministry of Water Resources
RAJYA SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1210
ANSWERED ON DECEMBER 16, 2013
QUESTION
Interlinking of Rivers
1210. SHRI RAJEEV CHANDRASEKHAR:
Will the Minister of WATER RESOURCES be pleased to state;
(a) the current status of interlinking of rivers;
(b) whether it is a fact that various projects for interlinking of rivers are running behind schedule;
(c) if so, the reasons therefor;
(d) the number of meetings held so far by the Committee set up as per the Supreme Court order, for implementation of interlinking of rivers;
(e) whether the Committee has conducted any study on feasibility of the project and environmental impact assessment;
(f) if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor; and
(g) the action taken by Government on various Detailed Project Reports submitted by other committees?
ANSWER
THE MINISTER OF WATER RESOURCES
(SHRI HARISH RAWAT)
(a) The Ministry of Water Resources (MoWR) (erstwhile Ministry of Irrigation) formulated a National Perspective Plan (NPP) for Water Resources Development in 1980 envisaging inter- basin transfer of water from surplus basins to deficit basins/areas which comprises of two components, namely, Himalayan Rivers Development Component and Peninsular Rivers Development Component. NWDA was set up under the MoWR in 1982 for carrying out various technical studies to establish the feasibility of the proposals of NPP and to give concrete shape to it. NWDA has identified 30 links (16 under Peninsular Component & 14 under Himalayan Component for preparation of Feasibility Reports (FRs). Out of these, Feasibility Reports (FRs) of 14 links under Peninsular Component and FRs of 2 links (Indian portion) under Himalayan Component has been prepared. The present status State/U-Ts wise of links identified for preparation of feasibility reports is given at Annexure-I
After completion of such feasibility reports, Five Peninsular links namely (i) Ken - Betwa, (ii) Parbati - Kalisindh - Chambal, (iii) Damanganga - Pinjal, (iv) Par - Tapi -Narmada & (v) Godavari (Polavaram) - Krishna (Vijayawada) have been identified as priority links for preparation of Detailed Project Reports (DPRs) on the basis of Task Force report. The present status of the preparation of DRP is given at Table-1 below:
Table -1
Status of various Detailed Project Reports for Inter Basin Water Transfer Links of NPP
S. No |
Name of the Link |
Rivers |
States concerned |
Completion year |
A |
Proposals under National Perspective Plan |
|||
1 |
Ken-Betwa Phase-I |
Ken & Betwa |
Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh |
DPR completed. Declared as National Project. |
Ken-Betwa Phase-II |
- do - |
- do - |
2013 |
|
2 |
Par-Tapi- Narmada |
Par, Tapi & Narmada |
Gujarat & Maharashtra |
2014 |
3 |
Damanganga- Pinjal |
Damanganga & Pinjal |
Gujarat & Maharashtra |
2014 |
4 |
Polavaram- Vijayawada |
Godavari & Krishna |
Andhra Pradesh |
Project taken up by Govt. of AP under AIBP funding |
5 |
Parbati - Kalisindh-Chambal |
Parbati, Kalisindh & Chambal |
Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan |
No date finalized.
|
Intra-State Links identified by States from 2006 onwards
To find out conceptual feasibility, certain States have entrusted preparation of Pre Feasibility/Feasibility reports of intra-state links to National Water Development Agency (NWDA) in November, 2006. So far, 36 proposals of intra-state links from 7 States viz. Maharashtra, Gujarat, Jharkhand, Orissa, Bihar, Rajasthan and Tamil Nadu received by NWDA. Out of these, Pre-Feasibility Reports (PFRs) of 27 intra-state links have been completed by NWDA up to March 2013. Detailed status is given at Annexure-II.
Preparation of Detailed Project Report of Intra State links proposed by States was included in the functions of National Water Development Agency in 2011. Status of Preparation of Detailed Project Reports of Intra-State Water Transfer Links in Consultation with State Governments are given below at Table-2
Table-2
S.No. |
Name of link |
Rivers |
States concerned |
Completion year |
1 |
Burhi Gandak- None-Baya - Ganga link |
Burhi Gandak & Ganga |
Bihar |
2013 |
2 |
Kosi-Mechi Link |
Kosi & Mechi |
Bihar |
2014 |
3 |
Wainganga (Gosik urd) – Nalganga (Puma Tapi) link |
Wainganga & Purna Tapi |
Maharashtra |
2015 |
4 |
Ponnniyar-Palar link |
Ponnniyar-Palar |
Tamil Nadu |
2015 |
(b) & (c) The implementation of Inter linking of Rivers (ILR) projects involves various steps such as preparation of Feasibility Reports (FRs) of links, negotiation and consensus among concerned States, agreement with neighboring countries if link involves area lying in those countries, preparation of DPRs of the projects, clearance from appraisal agencies which includes clearance by Ministry of Environment & Forests (MoEF) and Ministry of Tribal Affairs (MoTA), techno-economic clearance by Technical Advisory Committee of Ministry of Water Resources and investment clearance by Planning Commission and issue of funds for the project. It may be seen that the only project for which the DPR has been prepared i.e. Ken-Betwa Phase-I, is yet to be given the environment and forest clearances. The Project can be taken up for execution only after all statutory clearances are given.
(d) Supreme Court while delivering judgment in respect of Writ Petition (CIVIL) No.512 of 2002 IN RE: NETWORKING OF RIVERS with Writ Petition (CIVIL) No. 668 of 2002, have directed the Union of India and particularly the Ministry of Water Resources, Government of India, to forthwith constitute a Committee to be called a ‘Special Committee for Inter-linking of Rivers' headed by the Union Minister for Water Resources and comprising of members from States and also representatives of other associated Union Ministries as well as experts nominated by them, including Amicus Curiae. Said committee has been framed.
(e) & (f) Does not arise in view of (d) above.
(g) No DPR on Inter Linking of Rivers projects by any committee has been submitted to Ministry of Water Resources.
*****
ANNEXURE-I
REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PART (a) OF UNSTARRED QUESTION NO 1210 TO BE ANSWERED
ON 16.12.2013 IN RAJY A SABHA REGARDING INTERLINKING OF RIVERS
STATUS OF WATER TRANSFER LINKS IDENTIFIED FOR PREPARATION OF
FEASIBILITY REPORTS (FR) BY NWDA
Present status of Inter Basin Water Transfer Links
Sl. No |
Name |
States Concerned |
States benefited |
Status |
Peninsular Component |
||||
1 |
Mahanadi (Manibhadra) - Godavari (Dowlaiswaram) link |
Orissa, Maharashtra, AP, Karnataka & Chhattisgarh |
AP & Orissa |
Feasibility Report Completed |
2 |
Godavari (Polavaram) –Krishna (Vijayawada) link # |
Orissa, Maharashtra, AP, Karnataka & Chhattisgarh |
AP |
Feasibility Report Completed |
3 |
Godavari (lnchampalli) - Krishna (Nagarjunasagar) link |
Orissa, Maharashtra, MP, AP, Karnataka & Chhattisgarh |
- do - |
Feasibility Report Completed |
4 |
Godavari (Inchampalli) - Krishna (Pulichintala) link |
- do - |
- do - |
Feasibility Report Completed |
5 |
Krishna (Nagarjunasagar) - Pennar (Somasila) link |
Maharashtra, AP & Karnataka |
- do - |
Feasibility Report Completed |
6 |
Krishna (Srisailam) – Pennar link |
- do - |
- do - |
Feasibility Report Completed |
7 |
Krishna (Almatti) - Pennar link |
- do - |
AP & Karnataka |
Feasibility Report Completed |
8 |
Pennar (Somasila) – Cauvery (Grand Anicut) link |
AP, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala & Puducherry |
AP, Tamil Nadu & Puducherry |
Feasibility Report Completed |
|
||||
9 |
Cauvery (Kattalai) – Vaigai Gundar link |
Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala & Puducherry |
Tamil Nadu |
Feasibility Report Completed |
10 |
Parbati –Kalisindh – Chambal link # |
MP, Rajasthan & UP (UP requested to be Completed consulted during consensus building) |
MP & Rajasthan |
Feasibility Report Completed |
11 |
Damanganga- Pinjal link # |
Maharashtra & Gujarat |
Maharashtra (only water supply to Mumbai) |
FR Completed DPR under progress |
12 |
Par-Tapi-Narmada link # |
- do - |
Gujarat |
FR Completed DPR under progress |
|
||||
13 |
Ken-Betwa link # |
UP & MP |
UP & MP |
FR Completed DPR Phase-I Completed. DPR Phase-II under progress |
14 |
Pamba - Achankovil – Vaippar link |
Kerala & Tamil Nadu |
Tamil Nadu |
Feasibility Report Completed |
15 |
Bedti - Varda link |
Maharashtra, AP& Karnataka |
Karnataka |
Pre Feasibility Report Completed |
16 |
Netravati - Hemavati link |
Karnataka, Tamil Nadu & Kerala |
Karnataka |
Pre Feasibility Report Completed |
Himalayan Component |
||||
1 |
Kosi-Mechi link |
Bihar, W.B & Nepal |
Bihar |
PFR Completed |
2 |
Kosi-Ghaghra link |
Bihar, U.P & Nepal |
Bihar & U.P |
S & I work taken up |
3 |
Gandak-Ganga link |
- do - |
U.P |
S & I work Completed |
4 |
Ghaghra-Yamuna link |
- do - |
U.P |
FR Completed (for Indian portion) |
5 |
Sarda-Yamuna link |
Bihar, U.P, Haryana, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand & Nepal |
U.P & Uttarakhand |
FR Completed (for Indian portion) |
6 |
Yamuna-Rajasthan link |
UP, Gujarat, Haryana & Rajasthan |
Haryana & Rajasthan |
S & I work Completed |
7 |
Rajasthan-Sabarmati link |
- do - |
Rajasthan & Gujarat |
S & I work Completed |
8 |
Chunar-Sone Barrage link |
Bihar & U.P |
Bihar & U.P |
S & I work Completed |
9 |
Sone Dam – Southern Tributaries of Ganga link |
Bihar & Jharkhand |
Bihar & Jharkhand |
S & I work taken up |
10 |
Manas-Sankosh-Tista- Ganga (M-S-T-G) link |
Assam, W.B, Bihar & Bhutan |
Assam, W.B & Bihar |
S & I work taken up |
11 |
Jogighopa-Tista-Farakka link (Alternative to M-S-T-G) |
- do - |
Assam, W.B & Bihar |
S & I work taken up |
|
||||
12 |
Farakka-Sunderbans link |
W.B |
W.B |
S & I work Completed |
13 |
Ganga (Farakka) -Damodar- Subernarekha link |
W.B, Orissa & Jharkhand |
W.B, Orissa & Jharkhand |
S & I work Completed |
14 |
Subernarekha-Mahanadi link |
W.B & Orissa |
W.B & Orissa |
S & I work Completed |
|
FR - Feasibility Report
PFR - Pre feasibility Report
DPR - Detailed Project Report
S & I - Survey and Investigation
MCM – Million Cubic Meter
ANNEXURE-II
REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PART (a) OF UNSTARRED QUESTION NO 1210 TO BE ANSWERED
ON 16.12.2013 IN RAJYA SABHA REGARDING INTERLINKING OF RIVERS
Intra - State link proposals received from the State Governments
S. No |
Name of the Intra-State Link |
Present Status / Target of Completion of PFR |
|
Maharashtra |
|
1 |
Wainganga (Goshikurd)- Nalganga (Purna Tapi) [Wainganga- Western Vidarbha & Pranhita- Wardha links merged and extended through Kanhan- Wardha link] |
Completed |
2 |
Wainganga- Manjra Valley |
Completed (Not found feasible) |
3 |
Upper Krishna- Bhima (system of Six links) |
Completed |
4 |
Upper Ghat- Godavari Valley (Daman ganga [Ekdare] - Godavari Valley) |
Completed |
5 |
Upper Vaitarna- Godavari Valley |
Completed |
6 |
North Konkan - Godavari Valley |
Completed |
7 |
Koyna- Mumbai city |
Completed |
8 |
Sriram Sagar Project (Godavari)- Purna- Manjira |
2013-14 |
9 |
Wainganga (Goshikurd)- Godavari (SRSP) |
Withdrawn by Govt. of Maharashtra |
10 |
Middle Konkan - Bhima Valley |
2013-14 |
11 |
Koyna- Nira |
Completed |
12 |
Mulsi - Bhima |
Completed |
13 |
Savithri - Bhima |
2013-14 |
14 |
Kolhapur- Sangli- Sangola |
Completed |
15 |
River linking projects of Tapi basin and Jalgaon District |
2013-14 |
16 |
Nar- Par- Girna valley |
Completed |
17 |
Narmada- Tapi |
2013-14 |
18 |
Khariagutta- Navatha Satpura foot hills |
In Consultation with State |
19 |
Kharia Ghuti Ghat- Tapi |
In Consultation with State |
20 |
Jigaon- Tapi- Godavari Valley |
2013-14 |
|
Gujarat |
|
21 |
Damanganga - Sabarmati - Chorwad |
Completed |
|
Orissa |
|
22 |
Mahanadi- Brahmani |
Completed |
23 |
Mahanadi - Rushikulya (Barmul Project) |
Completed |
24 |
Vamsadhara- Rushikulya (Nandini Nalla project) |
Completed |
|
Jharkhand |
|
25 |
South Koel - Subernarekha |
Completed |
26 |
Sankh - South Koel |
Completed |
27 |
Barkar- Damodar- Subernarekha |
Completed |
|
Bihar |
|
28 |
Kosi - Mechi [entirely lie in India] |
Completed |
29 |
Barh - Nawada |
Completed |
30 |
Kohra - Chandravat (now Kohra-Lalbegi) |
Completed |
31 |
Burhi Gandak- None- Baya- Ganga |
Completed |
32 |
Bagmati [Belwadhar] - Burhi Gandak |
Completed |
33 |
Kosi- Ganga |
Completed |
|
Rajasthan |
|
34 |
Mahi - Luni link |
Completed |
35 |
Wakal - Sabarmati - Sei - West Banas - Kameri link |
Completed |
|
Tamil Nadu |
|
36 |
Ponnaiyar - Palar link |
Completed |