(a) the details of progress made under the various ongoing river linking projects in the country, projectwise;
(b) the proposed benefits and deadlines for these projects;
(c) whether the Government is taking other such measures to better water availability in the country; and
(d) if so, the details thereof?
THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR JAL SHAKTI & SOCIAL JUSTICE AND EMPOWERMENT
(SHRI RATTAN LAL KATARIA)
(a) & (b) The National Perspective Plan (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). The details of above river linking projects viz., rivers, States concerned is given at Annexure.
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. 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. No ILR project under NPP has reached the stage of execution.
The implementation ILR projects under of NPP envisage benefit of 25 million ha of irrigation from surface water, 10 million ha by increased use of ground water, raising the ultimate irrigation potential from 140 million ha to 175 million ha and generation of 34 million KW of power, apart from the incidental benefits of flood control, drought mitigation, navigation, water supply, fisheries, salinity and pollution control etc.
The implementation of river link projects involves various steps such as preparation of Pre Feasibility Reports/ Feasibility Reports of links, negotiation and consensus among concerned States, preparation of DPRs of the projects, clearances from Ministry of Environment and Forests and Climate Change, Ministry of Tribal Affairs, techno-economic clearance by Advisory Committee on Irrigation, Flood control & multipurpose projects of Ministry of Jal Shakti and investment clearance.
Thus, the implementation of the projects will take varying periods of time.
Contd…P/2
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(c) & (d) Water being a State subject, steps for augmentation, conservation and efficient management of water resources are primarily undertaken by the respective State Governments. In order to supplement the efforts of the State Governments, Central Government provides technical and financial assistance to them through various schemes and programmes. Central Government has taken various steps to improve the water availability in the country.
Ministry of Jal Shakti has been created by the Government of India, integrating the erstwhile Ministry of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation and the Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation, with an aim to integrate water resources management under one umbrella so that the issues relating to water are dealt with in a holistic manner.
Ministry of Jal Shakti has launched Jal Shakti Abhiyan (JSA) – a campaign for water conservation and water security. During the campaign, officers, groundwater experts and scientists from the Government of India are working together with State and district officials in India’s most water- stressed districts for water conservation and water resource management. Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, as a participating Ministry in Jal Shakti Abhiyan, has issued detailed guidelines for water conservation activities such as rain water harvesting, reuse of treated waste water, rejuvenation of water bodies and intensive plantation.
Central Government has formulated a National Perspective Plan (NPP) for Water Resources Development which envisages transfer of water from water surplus basins to water deficit basins to improve availability of water.
Central Government has launched Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY) for completion of 99 on-going Major/Medium irrigation projects having ultimate irrigation potential of 76.03 lakh hectares.
Keeping in view the need for water supply infrastructure and service delivery, Government has launched Jal Jeevan Mission with an outlay of Rs. 3.60 lakh crore which aims at providing functional household tap connections to every rural household by 2024 at the service level of 55 litre per capita per day.
Central Ground Water Board is implementing a nationwide programme of “National Aquifer Mapping and Management (NAQUIM)” for mapping of aquifers (water bearing formations), their characterization and development of aquifer management plans to facilitate sustainable development of ground water resources. Aquifer maps and management plans have been shared with the respective State Government agencies.
Central Ground Water Board is implementing innovative schemes for Aquifer Rejuvenation under ‘Ground Water Management and Regulation’ scheme in select overexploited blocks of the aspirational districts on pilot basis.
Some initiatives/measures taken by Central Government to control water depletion and promote rain water harvesting / conservation are available at the URL:
http://mowr.gov.in/sites/default/files/Steps_to_control_water_depletion_Jun2019.pdf
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ANNEXURE
ANNEXURE REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PARTS (a) & (b) OF UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.2451 TO BE ANSWERED IN LOK SABHA ON 05.03.2020 REGARDING “PROGRESS OF RIVER LINKING PROJECTS”.
Names 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 of PFR/FR/DPR
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 & Comprehensive) 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 Contd.
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
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