The Ministry of Water Resources (MoWR) (erstwhile Ministry of Irrigation) formulated a National Perspective Plan (NPP) for Water Resources Development in 1980 envisaging inter-basin transfer of water from surplus basins to deficit basins/areas which comprises two components, namely, Himalayan Rivers Development Component and Peninsular Rivers Development Component. National Water Development Agency (NWDA) was set up under the MoWR in 1982 for carrying out various technical studies to establish the feasibility of the proposals of NPP and to give concrete shape to it. NWDA has already identified 14 links under Himalayan Component and 16 links under Peninsular Rivers Component as perAnnexure – I.
Five Peninsular links namely (i) Ken – Betwa, (ii) Parbati – Kalisindh – Chambal, (iii) Damanganga – Pinjal, (iv) Par – Tapi – Narmada & (v) Godavari (Polavaram) – Krishna (Vijayawada) have been identified as priority links for taking up their Detailed Project Reports (DPRs). DPR of one priority link namely Ken-Betwa has been completed and was communicated to the party states. Modifications of the proposals and final Detailed Project Report preparation have been taken up by NWDA in light of observations of the concerned states. It has been decided that the DPR of the Project will be prepared in two phases. DPR of one priority link namely Ken-Betwa (Phase-I) has been completed and NWDA has taken up the survey & investigation works of Phase– II of the link project. The Ken-Betwa link project has been included in the list of NationalProjects.
Further, after receiving the concurrence of the concerned states, NWDA has taken up the DPRs of two more priority links namely Par-Tapi-Narmada & Damanganga-Pinjal. A tripartite MOU for preparation of DPRs of both these links was signed by the Chief Ministers of Gujarat, Maharashtra and the Union Minister for Water Resources on 3.05.2010 in august presence of Hon’ble Prime Minister. The DPRs of these links are under progress.
Efforts are being made to arrive at consensus on the other priority link viz. Parbati – Kalisindh – Chambal through deliberations with the concerned States of Madhya Pradesh & Rajasthan for preparation of DPR.
Another priority link namely Godavari (Polavaram) –Krishna (Vijayawada) is part of the Polavaram project of the Andhra Pradesh. The Government of Andhra Pradesh has taken up the above project including link component as per their own planning.
The preparation of Pre Feasibility/ Feasibility reports of intra-state links proposed by States were included in the functions of NWDA in November, 2006 in consultation with the State Governments. NWDA has requested all the States / UTs to inform the details of intra – state links for further studies by NWDA. So far, NWDA has received 36 proposals of intra-state links from 7 States viz. Maharashtra, Gujarat, Jharkhand, Orissa, Bihar, Rajasthan and Tamil Nadu. Out of these, Pre-Feasibility Reports (PFRs) of 21 intra-state links have been completed by NWDA up to September, 2012.
On the request of Bihar Government, the preparation of DPRs of 2 intra-state links of Bihar also is in progress. As desired by Govt. of Bihar, NWDA has completed the Preliminary Project Report (PPR) of Burhi Gandak-None-Baya –Gangalink and sent the same to Govt. of Bihar. The preparation of Preliminary Project Report (PPR) of Kosi-Mechi is also completed and sent to Govt. of Bihar.
The details of intra-state link proposals received from the State Governments along with their status and target for completion of their PFRs is given in Annexure – II.
Further 10 proposals (3 from Bihar, 6 from Karnataka & 1 from Chhattisgarh) have also been received. These are being examined for their suitability for further studies.
(b) The initial cost of the Inter Linking projects as per PFR/FR was 5.60 Lakh crore at 2002 Price Level. The costs of individual project have not yet been finalized. The present cost including the cost of land required to be acquired for the project can be estimated only after the completion of DPR of the projects.
(c) The budgetary provision for preparation of Feasibility Reports (FRs) and Detailed Project Report (DPR) for the present financial year 2012-13 is Rs. 51.30 crore. The amount spent on FR & DPR of Interlinking of Rivers programme from inception of NWDA till October, 2012 is `. 378.96 crore. The expenditure incurred, is not maintained project wise.
(d) The river linking project is still in planning stage. Irrigation and hydro power generation will start only after execution of the project.
This information was given by Union Water Resources Minister Shri Harish Rawat in the Rajya Sabha today in reply to a written question on the status of inter-State and intra- State, river linking projects; when this ambitious scheme was envisaged, what was project cost; what is present escalated figure; how much amount has been spent, so far; and whether, till date, neither a hectare area has been irrigated, nor a blade of grass has been grown nor a watt of electricity has been produced under this scheme.
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ANNEXURE-I
STATUS OF WATER TRANSFER LINKS IDENTIFIED FOR PREPARATION OF FEASIBILITY REPORTS (FR) BY NWDA
Peninsular Rivers Development Component
1. Mahanadi (Manibhadra) – Godavari (Dowlaiswaram) link – FR completed
2. Godavari (Polavaram) – Krishna (Vijayawada) link * -FR completed (Taken by the state as per their own proposal)
3. Godavari (Inchampalli) – Krishna ( Pulichintala)link – FR completed
4. Godavari (Inchampalli ) – Krishna (Nagarjunasagar) link – FR completed
5. Krishna (Nagarjunasagar) – Pennar (Somasila ) link – FR completed
6. Krishna (Srisailam) – Pennar link – FR completed
7. Krishna (Almatti) – Pennar link – FR completed
8. Pennar (Somasila) – Cauvery (Grand Anicut) link – FR completed
9. Cauvery (Kattalai) – Vaigai – Gundar link – FR completed
10. Parbati – Kalisindh – Chambal link* – FR completed
11. Damanganga – Pinjal link* – FR completed & DPR started
12. Par – Tapi – Narmada link* – FR completed & DPR started
13. Ken – Betwa link* – DPR (Phase-I) Completed
14. Pamba – Achankovil – Vaippar link – FR completed.
15. Netravati – Hemavati Link – PFR completed
16. Bedti – Varda link – FR work taken up
Himalayan Rivers Development Component
1. Kosi-Mechi link – Entirely lies in Nepal
2. Kosi-Ghaghra link – S&I works taken up
3. Gandak-Ganga link – S&I works completed
4. Ghaghra-Yamuna link – FR completed (for
Indian portion)
5. Sarda-Yamuna link – FR completed (for
Indian portion)
6. Yamuna-Rajasthan link – S&I works completed
7. Rajasthan-Sabarmati link – S&I works completed
8. Chunar(at Ganga)-Sone Barrage link – S&I works completed
9. Sone Dam – Southern Tributaries of Ganga link – S&I works taken up
10. Manas-Sankosh-Tista-Ganga (M-S-T-G) link – S&I works taken up
11. Jogighopa(at Brahmaputra)-Tista-Ganga at Farakka
(Alternate to M-S-T-G) link – S&I works taken up
12. Ganga (Farakka)-Sunderbans link – S&I works completed
13. Ganga-Damodar-Subernarekha link – S&I works completed
14. Subernarekha-Mahanadi link – S&I works completed
* Priority links
PFR- Pre-Feasibility Report; FR- Feasibility Report; DPR- Detailed Project Report
S&I – Survey & Investigation in Indian portion