to the reply
given to Unstarred Question No. 894 on December 6, 2004 regarding
Tista Irrigation Project and state:
(a) the progress made so far in execution of work on the Tista
Irrigation Project;
(b) whether the Government will be able to complete all the three phases of the project by 2015; and
(c) the details of the action plan or schedule of the Government on
this project?
THE MINISTER OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) FOR HEAVY INDUSTRIES, PUBLIC ENTERPRISES AND WATER RESOURCES (SHRI SONTOSH MOHAN DEV)
(a) to (c) Teesta (Tista) Barrage Project (TBP) was proposed to
be executed in three phases. The first phase of the project envisages
extending irrigation to an area of 9.22 lakh ha. The first phase is
sub divided into three Stages and again the Stage-I is subdivided
into Substage-I and Substage-II. Presently, first Substage of Stage-I
of Phase-I of the project is under execution. The Substage-I
contemplates for providing irrigation to an area of 3.42 lakh ha. Out
of this, an irrigation potential of 1.285 lakh ha. has been created
upto 31.3.2005. The prioritized components of Substage-I of the
project, which are in advance stages of execution to create an
additional potential of 1.25 lakh ha. are programmed to be completed
by December, 2008. The first Substage of Stage-I of the project has
been programmed to be completed by December, 2012.
The second phase of the project envisages construction of a
storage dam over river Teesta at a distance of 600 meteres upstream
of the Coronation Bridge at Sevoke in the Darjeeling district in
order to increase the irrigation potential as well as to generate
hydel power of 235 MW. This proposal has been abandoned due to
submergence of large forest areas.
The third phase of the project is related to the potential
of linking up river Brahmaputra with Ganga by a canal for diverting
excess floodwater as well as to provide a navigational route between
the two rivers. This proposal is presently under study.