Question : Special Committee Meeting on Inter-linking ofRivers

(a) whether a meeting of Special Committee on interlinking of rivers was held recently;
(b) if so, the details of the issues discussed therein and the outcome thereof;
(c) whether the Detailed Project Report (DPR) on the inter-linking of rivers has been prepared;
(d) if so, the details of current status of DPR in respect of Inter-State Link Project involving different States;
(e) whether the Government has taken steps to expedite the various ILR projects and if so, the details thereof; and
(f) the steps being taken by the Government to ensure that consensus is arrived at among the States to ensure completion of inter-linking of rivers within laid down time limit?

THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR JAL SHAKTI & SOCIAL JUSTICE AND EMPOWERMENT

(SHRI RATTAN LAL KATARIA)

(a) & (b) The Seventeenth Meeting of Special Committee for Interlinking of Rivers (ILR) was held on 26th February, 2020 at New Delhi. During the meeting, various issues including the status of Pre Feasibility Report (PFR)/ Feasibility Report (FR)/ Detailed Project Report (DPR) of different links proposal of National Perspective Plan (NPP) and intra-state links of various States were discussed.

(c) & (d) The NPP was prepared by the then Ministry of Irrigation (now Ministry of Jal Shakti) 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 (FRs).

Under the NPP, four priority links have been identified for preparation of Detailed Project Reports (DPR) under the Peninsular Rivers Component viz; Ken-Betwa link project (KBLP), Damanganga-Pinjal link project, Par-Tapi-Narmada link project and Godavari-Cauvery link project. The DPRs of KBLP, Damanganga-Pinjal link project and Par-Tapi-Narmada link project have been sent to the concerned States. Further, draft DPR of Godavari-Cauvery link project consisting of three links viz; Godavari (Inchampalli/Janampet) – Krishna (Nagarjunasagar), Krishna (Nagarjunasagar) – Pennar (Somasila), Pennar (Somasila)-Cauvery (Grand Anicut) link projects has been completed and circulated to party States in March 2019.

(e) & (f) The Government is pursuing the inter-linking of rivers (ILR) program in a consultative manner. A “Special Committee on Interlinking of Rivers” has been constituted in September, 2014 for the implementation of ILR programme. Seventeen meetings of the Special Committee have been held so far. Further, a Task Force for Interlinking of Rivers has been constituted by MoWR, RD & GR (now Ministry of Jal Shakti) in April, 2015 and eleven meetings of the Task Force have been held so far. Efforts have been made for building consensus among the concerned States and also setting out road maps for implementation of the projects.

*****