Interlinking of Rivers

UPSC Prelims 2025 Notes


azadi ka amrit mahotsav

The Government of India formulated a National Perspective Plan (NPP) for interlinking of rivers (ILR) in 1980. National Water Development Agency (NWDA) has been entrusted with the work of Interlinking of Rivers under the National Perspective Plan (NPP). The NPP has two components, viz; Himalayan Rivers Development Component and Peninsular Rivers Development Component. 30 link projects have been identified under the NPP. In last 5 years, significant progress has been made in the ILR programme, details of which are given at Annexure.

Under the Himalayan Rivers Development Component of the NPP, 3 link projects, viz; Kosi-Mechi Link project , Kosi-Ghaghra link project and Chunar-Sone Barrage link project envisage transfer of water from Kosi, Ghaghra and Gandak rivers flowing down from Nepal to the other rivers in the State of Bihar.

The Pre-Feasibility Report (PFR) for Kosi-Mechi Inter State link project has been completed by NWDA. This link project lies in Nepal. As per the PFR, the link would provide for annual irrigation of 4.74 lakh hectare (ha) (2.99 lakh ha in Bihar) and 24 Million Cubic Metre (MCM) of domestic and industrial water supply in Bihar and Nepal.

The Kosi-Ghaghra link project, draft Feasibility Report (FR) for which has been completed, envisages diversion of 7482 MCM of water from right bank of the river Kosi from proposed Chatra barrage to the Ghaghra in order to extend irrigation to un-irrigated areas of Bihar and Uttar Pradesh (UP), north of river Ganga in the basins of Kosi, Kamla, Balan, Bagmati, Burhi Gandak, Gandak and Ghaghra rivers. The link would provide for annual irrigation to 10.58 lakh ha area (8.17 Lakh ha in Bihar) and 48 MCM of domestic & industrial water supply in Bihar, UP and Nepal.

The Chunar-Sone Barrage link project, draft FR for which has been completed, envisages transfer of water from river Ganga at Chunar to Sone river. River Ganga at Chunar would be surplus through augmentation of 6879 MCM of water from the proposed Gandak-Ganga link project and 4090 MCM from the proposed Ghaghra –Yamuna link project. Out of this surplus, Ganga water available at Chunar for diversion to Sone river would be 5918 MCM. The link project would provide for enroute annual irrigation of 0.67 lakh ha area, out of which 0.13 lakh ha lies in Bihar. The link canal would take over the existing commands of Western Sone Low Level Canal and High Level Canal to the extent of 4364.49 MCM of water and also the existing requirement of Sone barrage to the extent of 928.47 MCM of water directly. Due to this arrangement, additional 2.99 lakh ha irrigation will also be provided to Bihar through Sone Dam – Southern Tributaries of Ganga link, PFR of which has been completed.

Apart from the above, the Detailed Project Report (DPR) for Kosi–Mechi intra-State link project was prepared by NWDA in March, 2014. Ths intra-State link project has been accorded Environmental Clearance and Investment Clearance in 2019 and 2020 respectively. A Memorandum of Understanding for the preparation of working DPR for this intra-State link project has been signed between NWDA and Government of Bihar in December, 2022.

The Government has pursued the ILR program in a consultative manner and has accorded it top priority. DPRs of the ILR projects after completion, are sent to the party States and efforts made at various levels to bring them to a consensus on the issues related to water sharing etc., so as to take these link projects ahead to the implementation stage.

The Ken-Betwa Link project (KBLP) is the first ILR prroject under the NPP, implementation of which has been initiated. The Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) for the implementation of the Ken-Betwa Link project (KBLP) amongst the party States and the Government of India was signed on 22.03.2021. Subsequently, the link project was approved by the Government of India in December, 2021 for implementation at an estimated cost of Rs 44,605 crore (year 2020-21 price level) with a central support of Rs 39,317 crore and through a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV), viz; Ken Betwa Link Project Authority (KBLPA). The total expenditure made on KBLP (Phase I and Phase II) till date is Rs. 7998.42 Crore. This link project is planned to be completed by March, 2030.

Expenditure and estimated time period for completion for the other ILR projects would be considered when they reach the stage of implementation. The implementation of the ILR projects, however, depends upon the party States to reach a consensus.

This information was given by the Minister of State for Jal Shakti, Shri Bishweswar Tudu in a written reply in Rajya Sabha today.

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AS

 

ANNEXURE

Details Of Significant Progress Made In Interlinking Of Rivers (ILR) Programme In Last 5 Years:

  1. The Pre-Feasibility Report (PFR) of 1 link project, Feasibility Reports (FRs) of 9 link projects and Detailed Project Reports (DPRs) of 7 link projects have been completed.

  2. The Ken-Betwa link project is the first link project under NPP, for which implementation has been initiated in the year 2022, after getting approval from the Govt. of India in December, 2021. Techno economic clearance and most of the statutory clearances have been obtained for the link project.

  3. Draft Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for implementation of Par-Tapi-Narmada link and Damanganga-Pinjal link projects was prepared and sent to the Governments of Maharashtra and Gujarat in September, 2017.

  4. DPR for Godavari-Cauvery link project (comprising of three link projects) was completed by NWDA and sent to the concerned States in April, 2021. An alternative study for Godavari-Cauvery link project as per decision taken during consultation meeting held in February, 2022 with the party States has been completed by NWDA and a Technical Feasibility Report (TFR) for the same has been submitted to the party States in January, 2023.

  5. In the meeting of the Special Committee on Inter Linking of Rivers held on 13.12.2022, the proposal for making the Phase-I of Modified Parbati-Kalisindh-Chambal link duly integrated with the Eastern Rajasthan Canal Project as part of the NPP and declaring this project as one of the priority link projects has been approved. Draft PFR and Draft MoU for the proposal have been completed and sent to the concerned States in January, 2023.

  6. System studies for Mahanadi-Godavari link project has also been completed.

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Source PIB

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