Question : INTERLINKING OF RIVERS

(a) the details of the rivers proposed to be interlinked in the country along with the proposals received from the State Governments for interlinking of rivers;

(b) whether certain proposals for interlinking of rivers from State Governments have been pending with the Government;

(c) if so, the details thereof along with the time by which these proposals are likely to be cleared; and

(d) the steps taken by the Government to revisit the entire gamut of water management in the light of the observations made by certain quarters?

THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR WATER RESOURCES, RIVER DEVELOPMENT AND GANGA REJUVENATION; PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS AND TEXTILES (INDEPENDENT CHARGE).(SHRI SANTOSH KUMAR GANGWAR)

(a) to (c) Based on the concurrence of the concerned States, three links namely Ken-Betwa Link, Damanganga - Pinjal link and Par-Tapi-Narmada link have been taken up for the preparation of Detailed Project Report (DPR) by the National Water Development Agency (NWDA) out of 30 interstate links identified under National Perspective Plan (NPP). The DPR for Ken-Betwa Link Project and Damanganga - Pinjal link have been completed by NWDA, and submitted to the concerned States. The status of inter-state river link proposals envisaged under NPP is at Annex – I.

Out of the 46 proposals of intra-state links received by NWDA from 9 States, the BurhiGandak- Noon-Baya-Ganga Link of Bihar, Kosi-Mechi Link of Bihar, Ponnair-Palar Link of Tamil Nadu, Wainganga-Nalganga Link of Maharashtra and Barakar-Damodar-Subernarekha Link of Jharkhand have been taken up for the preparation of DPR by NWDA on the request made by the concerned States. The DPRs of two intra-state links i.e. BurhiGandak-Noon-Baya-Ganga Link Project and Kosi-Mechi Link Project have been completed and sent to Government of Bihar in December, 2013 and March, 2014 respectively. The status of intra-state river link proposals received from the State Governments is at Annex – II.

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, 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.

(d) The issues of the interlinking of rivers are regularly discussed and reviewed during the meetings of Governing Body and Society of the NWDA. The Special Committee on the inter linking of river, which has recently been approved by the Government in light of the Judgment of Hon’ble Supreme Court, is also mandated to plan, construct and implement this inter linking of rivers program for the benefit of the nation.