(a) whether the Government have identified rivers in the country which flow into the Sea;
(b) if so, whether the Government have formulated any scheme to divert the excess water of these rivers to the rivers with less water for storage purpose;
(c) if so, whether the Government have discussed this issue with the Planning Commission; and
(d) if so, the details thereof?
THE MINISTER OF WATER RESOURCES (SHRI ARJUN CHARAN SETHI)
(a) to (d) A Statement is laid on the Table of the House.
STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PARTS (a) TO (d) OF
STARRED QUESTION No.3 TO BE ANSWERED IN THE LOK SABHA ON
23.07.2001 REGARDING DIVERTION OF EXCESS WATER OF RIVERS.
The average annual precipitation received in the
country in the form of rainfall and snow is estimated to
be of the order of 4000 cubic km. Of this, the average
annual run off in the various river basins is of the order
of 1869 cubic km. The utilisable quantum has been
estimated as 690 cubic km for surface water and 432
cubic km for ground water, making total utilisable as 1122
cubic km. Against this, the present utilisation is
estimated at about 605 cubic km. Balance water could be
assumed to be flowing unutilised to the sea mainly in
Ganga, Brahmaputra, Mahanadi, Godavari and Narmada. The
Ministry of Irrigation (now Ministry of Water Resources)
and the Central Water Commission formulated a National
Perspective Plan for water resources development in 1980
which envisages inter-linkages among various peninsular
rivers and the Himalayan rivers for transfer of water from
water surplus basins to water deficit basins for optimum
utilization of water resources. The plan envisages 17
water transfer linkages under the Peninsular River
Development Component and 14 water transfer linkages under
the Himalayan Rivers Development Component. To follow it
up, the Government of India has established the National
Water Development Agency (NWDA) an autonomous society in
July 1982 to inter-alia carryout the water balance and
feasibility studies of the national perspective plan. The
names of all the proposed 31 inter basin transfer linkages
from the presently assessed surplus basins to the deficit
basins are given in the Annexure.
The NWDA have completed pre-feasibility of all the 31
linkages. The feasibility of 5 linkages under the
Peninsular River Development Component have also been
completed.
The progress made with regard to formulation of
National Perspective Plan is discussed with the Planning
Commission as a part of Annual Plan discussions for the
finalisation of this Ministry’s Annual Plan. Further, the
progress in the work of NWDA is periodically discussed in
its Governing Body in which Planning Commission is
represented.
ANNEXURE
LIST OF PROPOSED WATER TRANSFER LINKS FOR WHICH PREFEASIBILITY REPORTS HAVE BEEN PREPARED BY NWDA
Peninsular Rivers Development Component
1. Mahanadi (Manibhadra) - Godavari (Dowlaiswaram) link
2. Godavari (Polavaram) - Krishna (Vijaawada) link
3. Godavari (Inchampalli) - Krishna (Pulichintala) link
4. Par-Tapi link
5. Ken-Betwa link 6. Kalisindh- - Chambal link
7 Pamba - Achankovil - Vaigai link
8. Godavari (Inchampalli ) - Krishna (Nagarjunasagar) link
9. Godavari (Inchampalli Low Dam)-Musi & Krishna (Nagarjunasagar Tail pond) Links 10. Damanganga - Tansa link 11. Bedti - Varda link 12. Netravati - Hemavati Link 13. Krishna (Nagarjunasagar) - Pennar (Somasila ) link 14. Krishna (Srisailam) - Pennar (Podattur) link 15. Krishna (Almatti) - Pennar link 16. Pennar (Somasila) - Cauvery (Grand Anicut) link 17. Cauvery (Kattalai) - Vaigai -Gundar link
Himalayan Rivers Development Component
1. Kosi-Mechi link
2. Kosi-Ghaghra link
3. Gandak-Ganga link
4. Ghaghra-Yamuna link
5. Sarda-Yamuna link 6. Yamuna-Rajasthan link
7 Rajasthan-Sabarmati link
8. Chunar-Sone Barrage link
9. Sone Dam - Southern Tributaries of Ganga link 10. Brahmaputra-Ganga link (Manas-Sankosh-Tista-Ganga) 11. Farakka-Sunderbans link 12. Ganga-Damodar-Sunernarekha link 13. Subernarekha-Mahanadi link 14. Jogighopa-Tista-Farakka link
NOTE: Prefeasibility studies for all the above links have been completed.