The National Perspective Plan (NPP) was prepared by the then Ministry of Irrigation, now Ministry of Water Resources, River Development & Ganga Rejuvenation (MoWR, RD & GR) in August 1980 for water resources development through inter basin transfer of water, for transferring water from water surplus basins to water-deficit basins. Under the NPP, the National Water Development Agency (NWDA) has identified 30 links (16 under Peninsular Component & 14 under Himalayan Component) for preparation of Feasibility Reports. The Pre-Feasibility Report of the all 30 links have been prepared and circulated to the concerned State Governments by the NWDA. After survey and investigations, Feasibility Reports of 14 links under Peninsular Component and Feasibility Reports of 2 links and draft Feasibility Reports of 7 links (Indian portion) under Himalayan Component have been completed. Present status, States concerned with Inter Basin Water Transfer Links are given in Annexure.

Four priority links under Peninsular Rivers Component have been identified for preparation of Detailed Project Reports (DPR) viz; Ken-Betwa link project (KBLP) Phase –I & II, Damanganga-Pinjal link project, Par-Tapi-Narmada link project and Mahanadi-Godavari link project. The preparation of DPR of a project is taken up only after consent of concerned State Governments. Based on the concurrence of the concerned States, DPRs of KBLP Phase-I & Phase-II, Damanganga-Pinjal link project and Par-Tapi-Narmada link project have been completed. The techno-economic clearance and various statutory clearances of the KBLP Phase-I have been accorded. The techno-economic clearance of the Damanganga-Pinjal link project has also been accorded subject to statutory clearances. The DPR of Par-Tapi-Narmada link project has been submitted for technical appraisal in Central Water Commission. The DPR of the Mahanadi – Godavari link could not be taken up as the Government of Odisha was not agreeable for Mahanadi – Godavari link, a mother link of 9 link system viz., Mahanadi – Godavari – Krishna – Pennar – Palar – Cauvery – Vaigai – Gundar linkage due to large submergence involved in Manibhadra Dam. Based on the suggestions of WRD, Govt. of Odisha, NWDA has prepared a preliminary revised proposal of Mahanadi- Godavari Link Project with reduced submergence and submitted to the State Govt. of Odisha for consideration.

The draft Memorandum of Understandings (MoUs) for implementation of KBLP has been sent to respective States UP & MP for concurrence and draft MoU for implementation of Damanganga-Pinjal link project and Par-Tapi-Narmada link project have been sent to respective States Maharashtra & Gujarat for concurrence.

The total expenditure on Inter Linking of Rivers (ILR) programme was estimated to be Rs.5.6 lakh crores (2002-03 price level) based on NWDA studies. National Council of Applied Economic Research has estimated that the cost of ILR project to be Rs.4.44 lakh crore (2003-04 price level). The exact requirement on realistic basis will be available only after the preparation of DPRs of all the links.

Interlinking of Rivers (ILR) programme has been taken up on high priority. The Government is well aware about the several issues involved in the ILR programme. The Government is pursuing the Interlinking of Rivers program in a consultative manner.

The Supreme Court vide its judgment dated 27.02.2012 in the Writ Petition (Civil) No. 512 of 2002 on ‘Networking of Rivers’ along with Writ Petition No. 668 of 2002 directed the Union of India and particularly the Ministry of Water Resources to constitute a Committee under the chairmanship of Minister of Water Resources for the implementation of ILR.

As per the directions of Supreme Court, a committee called “Special Committee on Interlinking of Rivers” was constituted under the Chairmanship of the Union Minister of Water Resources, River Development & Ganga Rejuvenation (MoWR, RD & GR) for the implementation of ILR programme vide Gazette Notification dated 23rd September, 2014. Thirteen meetings of the Special Committee for ILR have been held so far (last meeting held on 27.07.2017 at New Delhi), wherein State Irrigation/ Water Resources Ministers along with the Secretaries of various States participated. The Special Committee on ILR takes into consideration all the suggestions/observations of the stakeholders while planning and formulating the ILR projects.

The Committee, after considering the views of all the stakeholders, is proceeding ahead to expedite the objectives of the interlinking of rivers as per terms of reference. Vigorous efforts have been made for generating consensus with development of alternative plans and also setting out road maps for implementation of mature projects.

The Special Committee for ILR has constituted four specific sub-committees; (i) Sub-committee for comprehensive evaluation of various studies/reports (ii) Sub-Committee for system studies for identifications of most appropriate alternate plan, (iii) Sub-Committee for restructuring of National Water Development Agency and (iv) Sub-Committee for consensus building through negotiations and arriving at agreement between concerned States to discharge its functions.

The Union Cabinet while approving the constitution of Special Committee for ILR in its meeting held on 24^th July, 2014 directed that a committee comprising of experts be constituted to look into the issues relating to inter linking of rivers. In compliance to the direction of Union Cabinet, MoWR, RD & GR vide O.M. dated 13^th April, 2015  has constituted a Task Force for Interlinking of Rivers (TF-ILR) under the Chairmanship of Shri B.N. Navalawala, Chief Advisor, MoWR, RD&GR. So far, eight (8) meetings of the TF-ILR has been held and the last meeting was held on 15.09.2017.

TF-ILR on 18.07.2016 has constituted a Group to look into legal aspects and required enabling provisions for implementation of Interlinking of Rivers and other related issues. The legal group has completed its assigned task and submitted its report to the Chairman, TF-ILR on 17^th March 2017.

In addition, a Group for Financial Aspects under TF-ILR was also constituted on 12.09.2017 to consider the financial aspects of ILR projects and to suggest the funding pattern for implementing the same. Three meetings of the Group were held so far and the last meeting was held on 08.12.2017.

ANNEXURE

 

Present status of Inter Basin Water Transfer Links, the States involved, name of rivers and status of Feasibility Reports/Detailed Project Report

 

Sl. No	Name	Rivers	States concerned	Status
Peninsular  Component
1	Mahanadi (Manibhadra) - Godavari (Dowlaiswaram) link	Mahanadi  & Godavari	Odisha, Maharashtra,  Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, & Chattisgarh	FR Completed
2	Godavari (Inchampalli) - Krishna (Pulichintala) link	Godavari  &   Krishna	-do-	FR Completed
3	Godavari (Inchampalli) - Krishna (Nagarjunasagar) link	Godavari & Krishna	Odisha, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka & Chattisgarh,	FR Completed
4	Godavari (Polavaram) - Krishna (Vijayawada) link	Godavari & Krishna	Odisha, Maharashtra,  Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, & Chattisgarh	FR Completed
5	Krishna (Almatti) – Pennar link	Krishna  &  Pennar	-do-	FR Completed
6	Krishna (Srisailam) – Pennar link	Krishna  &  Pennar	-do-	FR Completed
7	Krishna (Nagarjunasagar) - Pennar (Somasila ) link	Krishna  &  Pennar	Maharashtra,  Andhra Pradesh & Karnataka,	FR Completed
8	Pennar (Somasila) - Cauvery (Grand Anicut) link	Pennar  & Cauvery	Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala & Puducherry	FR Completed
9	Cauvery (Kattalai) - Vaigai -Gundar link	Cauvery, Vaigai & Gundar	Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala & Puducherry	FR Completed
10	Ken-Betwa link	Ken & Betwa	Uttar Pradesh  & Madhya Pradesh	FR & DPR (Ph-I&II) Completed
11	Parbati -Kalisindh-  Chambal link	Parbati, Kalisindh & Chambal	Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan & Uttar Pradesh (UP  requested to be consulted during consensus building)	FR Completed
12	Par-Tapi-Narmada link	Par, Tapi & Narmada	Maharashtra & Gujarat	FR & DPR Completed
13	Damanganga - Pinjal link	Damanganga & Pinjal	Maharashtra & Gujarat	FR & DPR Completed
14	Bedti - Varda link	Bedti & Varda	Maharashtra,  Andhra Pradesh & Karnataka	PFR Completed
15	Netravati – Hemavati link	Netravati & Hemavati	Karnataka, Tamil Nadu &  Kerala	PFR Completed
16	Pamba - Achankovil - Vaippar link	Pamba, Achankovil & Vaippar	Kerala & Tamil Nadu,	FR Completed
Himalayan Component
1.	Manas-Sankosh-Tista-Ganga (M-S-T-G) link	Manas-Sankosh-Tista-Ganga	Assam, West Bengal,  Bihar& Bhutan	PFR completed
2.	Kosi-Ghaghra link	Kosi & Ghaghra	Bihar , Uttar Pradesh & Nepal	PFR completed
3.	Gandak-Ganga link	Gandak & Ganga	-do-	Draft FR  completed (Indian portion)
4.	Ghaghra-Yamuna link	Ghaghra & Yamuna	-do-	FR completed (Indian portion)
5.	Sarda-Yamuna link	Sarda & Yamuna	Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand & Nepal	FR completed (Indian portion)
6.	Yamuna-Rajasthan link	Yamuna & Sukri	Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Haryana & Rajasthan	Draft FR  completed
7.	Rajasthan-Sabarmati link	Sabarmati	-do-	Draft FR  completed
8.	Chunar-Sone Barrage link	Ganga & Sone	Bihar & Uttar Pradesh	Draft FR  completed
9.	Sone Dam – Southern Tributaries of Ganga link	Sone & Badua	Bihar & Jharkhand	PFR completed
10.	Ganga(Farakka)-Damodar-Subernarekha link	Ganga, Damodar & Subernarekha	West Bengal, Odisha & Jharkhand	Draft FR completed
11.	Subernarekha-Mahanadi link	Subernarekha & Mahanadi	West Bengal  & Odisha	Draft FR  Completed
12.	Kosi-Mechi link	Kosi &Mechi	Bihar , West Bengal & Nepal	PFR completed Entirely lies in Nepal
13.	Ganga (Farakka)-Sunderbans link	Ganga & Ichhamati	West Bengal	Draft FR  completed
14.	Jogighopa-Tista-Farakka link (Alternative to M-S-T-G)	Manas, Tista & Ganga	-do-	(Alternative to M-S-T-G Link) dropped

 

· PFR- Pre  Feasibility Report

· FR- Feasibility Report

· DPR- Detailed Project Report

 This information was given by Union Minister of State for Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation Shri Arjun Ram Meghwal in a written reply in Lok Sabha today.

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SKP/IA/jk

 

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