Parliament Question: Scheme for Interlinking of Rivers

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF JAL SHAKTI DEPARTMENT OF WATER RESOURCES, RIVER DEVELOPMENT & GANGA REJUVENATION LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1145 ANSWERED ON 05.02.2026 SCHEME FOR INTERLINKING OF RIVERS †1145. SHRI MANSUKHBHAI DHANJIBHAI VASAVA:

Will the Minister of JAL SHAKTI be pleased to state:

(a) the current status of the scheme for interlinking of rivers;

(b) whether several interlinking of rivers projects are running behind their scheduled time-limit and if so, the reasons therefor;

(c) the details of the meetings held so far of the High-Powered Committee constituted on the order of the Supreme Court for the planning and implementation of interlinking of rivers;

(d) whether the said Committee has conducted any study regarding the feasibility of this project and the assessment of its impacts on environment, if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor; and

(e) the action taken by the Government on the various Detailed Project Reports prepared with regard to the river interlinking projects? ANSWER THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR JAL SHAKTI (SHRI RAJ BHUSHAN CHOUDHARY)

(a) & (b) Under the National Perspective Plan (NPP), the National Water Development Agency (NWDA) has completed the Pre-Feasibility Reports for all 30 identified link projects, Feasibility Reports (FRs) for 26 links, and Detailed Project Reports (DPRs) for 13 links.

The progress and implementation of Interlinking of Rivers (ILR) projects depend upon inter-State consensus, as well as several factors such as demands for enhanced water allocations by recipient States, and complex technical, environmental, and rehabilitation issues. These aspects collectively influence the overall progress of ILR projects.

Further, works under the Ken–Betwa Link Project have commenced, with completion targeted for March 2030. The consolidated status of all link projects is placed at Annexure.

(c) & (d) In compliance with the directions of the Supreme Court, a Special Committee for Interlinking of Rivers (SCILR) was constituted on 23.09.2014 to review and facilitate planning and implementation of the ILR Programme. A total of twenty-four meetings of the Committee have been held so far.

For ILR projects, a structured process is followed, beginning with Pre-Feasibility Studies, the preparation of FR and DPRs, supported by detailed surveys, investigations, and technical analyses. An Environmental Impact Assessment is undertaken for each project.

(e) For the preparation of DPRs, a Memorandum of Understanding is signed among the concerned States.

After preparation, the DPR is circulated to the party States for their views and is finalized after incorporating their suitable suggestions. A project is taken forward for implementation only after consensus is achieved among the States and a Memorandum of Agreement for implementation is signed by them.

*** 1ANNEXURE ANNEXURE REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PART (a) & (b) OF UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.

1145 ANSWERED IN LOK SABHA ON 05.02.2026 REGARDING “SCHEME FOR INTER- LINKING OF RIVERS”.

Details and current status of ILR projects under the NPP Peninsular Component Sl. Name States benefited Status No 1 Mahanadi (Manibhadra) - Godavari Andhra Pradesh (AP) and FR completed

(Dowlaiswaram) link Odisha Alternate Mahanadi (Barmul)- AP and Odisha FR completed Rushikulya–Godavari Dowlaiswaram) link 2 Godavari (Polavaram) - Krishna AP, Karnataka, Maharashtra FR Completed

(Vijayawada) link @ and Telangana 3 a.) Godavari (Inchampalli) - Krishna Telangana FR completed

(Nagarjunasagar) link b.) Alternate Godavari (Inchampalli) - DPR completed Telangana Krishna (Nagarjunasagar) link * 4 Godavari (Inchampalli/ SSMPP) - Telangana and AP DPR completed Krishna (Pulichintala) link 5 a.) Krishna (Nagarjunasagar) - Pennar AP FR completed (Somasila ) link b.)Alternate Krishna (Nagarjunasagar) - DPR completed AP Pennar (Somasila ) link * 6 Krishna (Srisailam) – Pennar link AP DPR Completed 7 Krishna (Almatti) – Pennar link Karnataka &AP DPR completed 8 a.) Pennar (Somasila) - Cauvery (Grand AP, Tamil Nadu and FR completed Anicut) link Puducherry b.) Alternate Pennar (Somasila) - AP, Tamil Nadu and Cauvery (Grand Anicut) link * Puducherry DPR completed 9 Cauvery (Kattalai) - Vaigai -Gundar link Tamil Nadu DPR completed 10 Parbati –Kalisindh - Chambal link Madhya Pradesh (MP) and FR completed Rajasthan b) Modified Parbati – Kalisindh-Chambal MP and Rajasthan MoA for link implementation has been signed by both the States 11 Damanganga - Pinjal link Maharashtra (only water DPR completed and supply to Mumbai) dropped from status of “priority links” 12 Par-Tapi-Narmada link Gujarat and Maharashtra DPR completed and dropped from status of “priority links” 13 Ken-Betwa link Uttar Pradesh (UP) and MP DPR completed and project is under implementation 14 Pamba - Achankovil - Vaippar link Tamil Nadu and Kerala FR completed 15 Bedti - Varda link @@ Karnataka DPR completed 16 Netravati – Hemavati link*** Karnataka PFR completed 2* Due to pending consensus on Manibhadra and Inchampalli dams, Phase-I of Project to divert unutilized waters of Godavari river, Study was carried out and DPR of Godavari (Inchampalli) – Krishna

(Nagarjunasagar) - Pennar (Somasila) – Cauvery (Grand Anicut) link projects (combined) called as Godavari-Cauvery link was completed. The report has further been updated terminating the link canal at Manimukhtanadi, a Tributary of Vellar river flowing adjacent to Cauvery basin.

@@ Bedti – Varda Link - DPR was prepared directly after preparation of its PFR, no FR was prepared. @ Godavari (Polavaram) - Krishna (Vijayawada) Link- the project has been taken up by Govt. of Andhra Pradesh and is under execution by Polavaram Project Authority.

*** Netravati – Hemavati link: Further studies not taken up after PFR preparation since after implementation of Yettinahole project by Govt. of Karnataka, no surplus water is available in Netravati basin for diversion through this link.

Himalayan Component Sl. Name States / Countries benefited Status No

1. Kosi-Mechi link** Bihar and Nepal PFR completed

2. Kosi-Ghaghra link Bihar, Uttar Pradesh (UP) and FR completed Nepal

3. Gandak - Ganga link UP and Nepal FR completed

4. Ghaghra - Yamuna link UP and Nepal FR completed

5. Sarda - Yamuna link UP and Uttarakhand FR completed

6. Yamuna-Rajasthan link Haryana and Rajasthan FR completed

7. Rajasthan-Sabarmati link Rajasthan and Gujarat FR completed

8. Chunar - Sone Barrage link Bihar and UP FR completed

9. Sone Dam - Southern Tributaries of Bihar and Jharkhand Draft FR Ganga link completed

10. Manas-Sankosh-Tista-Ganga (M-S- Assam, West Bengal and Bihar FR completed T-G) link

11. Jogighopa-Tista-Farakka link Assam, WB and Bihar PFR completed (Alternative to M-S-T-G) (The proposal has been dropped)

12. Farakka-Sundarbans link WB FR completed

13. Ganga (Farakka) - Damodar- WB, Odisha and Jharkhand FR completed Subarnarekha link

14. Subarnarekha-Mahanadi link WB and Odisha FR completed Out of 30 link projects, 4 FRs are not required to be prepared: **Kosi-Mechi Inter State link - PFR prepared and proposal was dropped due to international issues, subsequently, on request of Govt. of Bihar, NWDA has taken up Kosi-Mechi Intra State link project.

Jogighopa-Tista-Farakka link - PFR prepared and proposal dropped Bedti - Varda link – DPR was prepared directly after preparation of its PFR, no FR was prepared.

Netravati – Hemavati link - Further studies after PFR preparation, are not taken up since after implementation of Yettinahole project by Govt. of Karnataka, as no surplus water is available in Netravati basin for diversion through this link.

***** 3