The Ministry of Water Resources (MoWR) (erstwhile Ministry of Irrigation) had formulated a National Perspective Plan (NPP) for Water Resources Development as early as 1980 envisaging inter-basin transfer of water from surplus basins to deficit basins/areas which comprises two components, namely, Himalayan Rivers Development Component and Peninsular Rivers Development Component. The National Water Development Agency (NWDA) was set up under the Ministry of Irrigation 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 already identified 14 links under Himalayan Component and 16 links under Peninsular Rivers Component. Out of these, Feasibility Reports of 14 links under Peninsular Component and 2 links under Himalayan Component (Indian portion) has been prepared. The present status of links identified for preparation of Feasibility Reports is given below:-
Peninsular Rivers Development Component
1. Mahanadi (Manibhadra) - Godavari (Dowlaiswaram) link - FR completed
2. Godavari (Polavaram) - Krishna (Vijayawada) link * -FR completed (Taken by the state as per their own proposal)
3. Godavari (Inchampalli) - Krishna ( Pulichintala)link - FR completed
4. Godavari (Inchampalli ) - Krishna (Nagarjunasagar) link - FR completed
5. Krishna (Nagarjunasagar) - Pennar (Somasila ) link - FR completed
6. Krishna (Srisailam) - Pennar link - FR completed
7. Krishna (Almatti) - Pennar link - FR completed
8. Pennar (Somasila) - Cauvery (Grand Anicut) link - FR completed
9. Cauvery (Kattalai) – Vaigai – Gundar link - FR completed
10. Parbati – Kalisindh – Chambal link* - FR completed
11. Damanganga – Pinjal link* - FR completed & DPR started
12. Par – Tapi – Narmada link* - FR completed & DPR started
13. Ken – Betwa link* - DPR (Phase-I) Completed
14. Pamba – Achankovil – Vaippar link - FR completed.
15. Netravati - Hemavati Link - PFR completed
16. Bedti - Varda link - FR work taken up
Himalayan Rivers Development Component
1. Kosi-Mechi link - Entirely lies in Nepal
2. Kosi-Ghaghra link - S&I works taken up
3. Gandak-Ganga link - S&I works completed
4. Ghaghra-Yamuna link - FR completed (for
Indian portion)
5. Sarda-Yamuna link - FR completed (for
Indian portion)
6. Yamuna-Rajasthan link - S&I works completed
7. Rajasthan-Sabarmati link - S&I works completed
8. Chunar(at Ganga)-Sone Barrage link - S&I works completed
9. Sone Dam - Southern Tributaries of Ganga link - S&I works taken up
10. Manas-Sankosh-Tista-Ganga (M-S-T-G) link - S&I works taken up
11. Jogighopa(at Brahmaputra)-Tista-Ganga at Farakka
(Alternate to M-S-T-G) link - S&I works taken up
12. Ganga (Farakka)-Sunderbans link - S&I works completed
13. Ganga-Damodar-Subernarekha link - S&I works completed
14. Subernarekha-Mahanadi link - S&I works completed
* Priority links
PFR- Pre-Feasibility Report; FR- Feasibility Report; DPR- Detailed Project Report
S&I - Survey & Investigation in Indian portion
The Implementation of Inter Linking of Rivers (ILR) involves various steps such as preparation of FRs of links, negotiation and consensus among concerned States, agreement with neighbouring countries if link involve area lying in other countries, preparation of DPRs of the projects and structures identified for the link, clearance from appraisal agencies which include clearance by Ministry of Environment & Forests (MoEF), clearance by Ministry of Tribal Affairs (MoTA), techno-economic clearance by Technical Advisory Committee of MoWR, investment clearance by Planning Commission and funding of the project
The initial cost of the Inter Linking projects as per PFR/FR was 5.60 Lakh crore at 2002 Price Level.
Costs of individual project have not yet been finalized. The present cost including the cost of land required to be acquired for the project can be estimated only after the completion of DPR of the projects.
The State Government of Bihar has submitted six Intra state link proposals
1. Kosi – Mechi [entirely lie in India] 2. Barh – Nawada 3. Kohra – Chandravat (now Kohra-Lalbegi) 4. Burhi Gandak – None – Baya – Ganga 5. Burhi Gandak – Bagmati [Belwadhar] 6. Kosi – Ganga
The PFRs of all six links have been completed and sent to State Government of Bihar. On the request of Bihar Government the preparation of DPR of two links i.e. 1. Kosi – Mechi, 2. Burhi Gandak – None – Baya – Ganga is under preparation.
As desired by Govt. of Bihar, NWDA has completed the Preliminary Project Report (PPR) of Burhi Gandak-None-Baya–Ganga link and sent the same to Govt. of Bihar and CWC on 31.05.2012.
Preparation of Preliminary Project Report (PPR) of Kosi – Mechi link is under progress.
Further 3 additional proposals ,viz. i) Development of Bagmati Irrigation & Drainage Project – Phase-II (Barrage nearKataunjha in Muzaffarpur District) and Adhwara Multipurpose Project with Kosi-Adhwara-Bagmati link, ii) Transfer of Ganga water to South Bihar through Pump Canal Scheme at Buxer & iii) Development of Badua-Chandan Basin, from Bihar have also been received. These are being examined for their suitability for further studies.
The State Government of Rajasthan has submitted two Intra state link proposals i.e. 1. Mahi – Luni link 2. Wakal – Sabarmati –Sei – West Banas – Kameri link.
PFR of Intra-State link of Rajasthan viz. Wakal – Sabarmati – Sei – West Banas – Kameri link have been prepared and sent to Govt. of Rajasthan. The PFR of Mahi-Luni is in progress.
The report on interlinking of rivers was submitted by National Council of Applied Economic Research (NCAER) in April, 2008. The conclusions/recommendations given by NCAER in its report mention various benefits of Interlinking of river programmesuch as additional benefits of Irrigation & Power, increase in growth rate of agriculture, growth of direct & indirect employment, improvement in the quality of life of people in rural areas and mitigation of floods & drought. The recommendations also include certain action points like setting up National Commission for Basin Management, improving cost recovery from irrigation projects & formation of Water Users Association. At present, no interlinking project under National Perspective Plan is under implementation. Therefore, the stage has not come for taking decision on the action points suggested in the report.
This information was given by the Minister of State for Water Resources and Minority Affairs Shri Vincent H. Pala in a written reply to a question in Lok Sabha today.
