Parliament Question: Wainganga-Nalganga River Linking Project

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF JAL SHAKTI DEPARTMENT OF WATER RESOURCES, RIVER DEVELOPMENT & GANGA REJUVENATION LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3358 ANSWERED ON 12.03.2026 WAINGANGA-NALGANGA RIVER LINKING PROJECT 3358. Dr. BACHHAV SHOBHA DINESH: SHRI SANJAY UTTAMRAO DESHMUKH: Will the Minister of JAL SHAKTI be pleased to state: (a) the present status of the National River Linking Project (NRLP); (b) whether the Government has approved the 463 kms Wainganga–Nalganga river linking project and if so, the details thereof along with the districts covered under the said project; (c) whether the Government is aware that large parts of Maharashtra suffer from malnutrition due to lack of irrigation and if so, the details thereof; (d) whether several regions have been excluded from NRLP despite serious irrigation issues and if so, the reasons therefor; and (e) the steps being taken by the Government to include such districts under the said project including Washim district? ANSWER THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR JAL SHAKTI (SHRI RAJ BHUSHAN CHOUDHARY) (a) The Government of India has formulated the National Perspective Plan (NPP) for interlinking of rivers, under which 30 Interlinking of Rivers (ILR) projects comprising 16 Peninsular and 14 Himalayan links have been identified to address water scarcity and augment irrigation and other water-related benefits across the country. The National Water Development Agency (NWDA), the nodal agency for this programme, has completed Pre-Feasibility Reports (PFRs) for all 30 links, Feasibility Reports (FRs) for 26 links, and Detailed Project Reports (DPRs) for 11 links. The status of these 30 link projects under the NPP is enclosed at Annexure. (b) NWDA has prepared the PFR and subsequently the DPR of the Wainganga–Nalganga river linking project and submitted it to the Government of Maharashtra. As informed by the State Government, the project has been accorded in-principal approval by the State Government. The project proposes diversion of 1,804.78 MCM of water from the Gosikhurd Project on the Wainganga River to the Nalganga basin through a 388.28 km link canal, to provide irrigation benefits over 4,04,281 hectares in eight districts, i.e., Nagpur, Wardha, Amravati, Yavatmal, Akola, Buldhana, Washim, and Bhandara. 1(c) Matters relating to malnutrition fall primarily within the purview of the health and social welfare sectors. However, the Government recognises that improved irrigation contributes to agricultural stability, and projects such as the Wainganga–Nalganga link are expected to enhance water availability in drought-prone regions of Maharashtra. (d) & (e) The identification of ILR projects under the National Perspective Plan is based on hydrological feasibility, water balance studies, technical parameters, and interstate considerations. The State Government has informed that no regions have been excluded from the NPP. The Wainganga– Nalganga River Linking Project already includes the Washim district among its beneficiary districts. *** 2ANNEXURE ANNEXURE REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PART (a) OF UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3358 TO BE ANSWERED IN LOK SABHA ON 12.03.2026 REGARDING “WAINGANGA- NALGANGA RIVER LINKING PROJECT”. 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, FR Completed (Vijayawada) link @ Maharashtra 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) - Krishna Telangana and AP DPR completed (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) - Cauvery AP, Tamil Nadu and (Grand Anicut) link * Puducherry DPR completed 9 Cauvery (Kattalai) - Vaigai -Gundar link Tamil Nadu DPR completed 10 Parbati –Kalisindh - Chambal link Madhya Pradesh (MP) FR completed and 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 DPR completed and MP 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 3* 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 Status No benefited 1. Kosi-Mechi link** Bihar and Nepal PFR completed 2. Kosi-Ghaghra link Bihar, Uttar Pradesh (UP) FR completed and 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 completed Ganga link 10. Manas-Sankosh-Tista-Ganga (M-S-T-G) Assam, West Bengal and FR completed link Bihar 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 FR completed Subarnarekha link Jharkhand 14. Subarnarekha-Mahanadi link WB and Odisha FR completed **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. ***** 4