The interlinking of river (ILR) programme has been taken up on high priority, union minister Nitin Gadkari informed parliament.
The minister said that the National Perspective Plan (NPP) was prepared by the then ministry of irrigation in August 1980 for transferring water from water surplus basins to water-deficit basins.

Read: Interlinking of rivers to end floods, drought

Under the NPP, the National Water Development Agency (NWDA) identified 30 links (16 under Peninsular Component & 14 under Himalayan Component) for preparation of Feasibility Reports (FRs). The Pre- Feasibility Reports (PFRs) of the all 30 links have been prepared and circulated to the concerned State Governments. After survey and investigations, FRs of 14 links under Peninsular Component and FRs of 2 links and draft FRs of 7 links (Indian portion) under Himalayan Component have been completed.

“The ILR programme has been taken up on high priority. The government is aware about several issues involved in the ILR programme and is pursuing it in a consultative manner,” he said.

A committee called “Special Committee on Interlinking of Rivers” was constituted for the implementation of ILR through gazette notification dated September 23, 2014. Fourteen meetings of this committee have been held so far.

Gadkari said that vigorous efforts have been made for generating consensus with development of alternative plans and also setting out road maps for implementation of mature projects.

Four priority links under Peninsular Rivers Component have been identified for preparation of DPR viz; Ken-Betwa link project (KBLP) Phase –I & II, Damanganga-Pinjal link project, Par-Tapi- Narmada link project and Mahanadi-Godavari link project. The preparation of DPR of a project is taken up after consent of state governments concerned. DPRs of KBLP Phase-I & Phase-II, Damanganga-Pinjal link project and Par-Tapi-Narmada link project have been completed. The techno- economic clearance and various statutory clearances of the KBLP Phase-I have been accorded. Based on the request of government of MP, the DPRs of projects included under KBLP Phase-II viz., Lower Orr dam, Bina complex projects and Kotha barrage have been completed by NWDA/ Government of M.P. and submitted for techno-economical appraisal in Central Water Commission (CWC).

The techno-economic clearance of the Damanganga-Pinjal link project has been accorded subject to statutory clearances. The DPR of Par-Tapi-Narmada link project has been submitted for technical appraisal in CWC.

The DPR of the Mahanadi – Godavari link could not be taken up as the government of Odisha was not agreeable for Mahanadi – Godavari link, a mother link of 9 link system viz., Mahanadi – Godavari – Krishna – Pennar – Palar – Cauvery – Vaigai – Gundar linkage due to large submergence involved in Manibhadra Dam. Based on the suggestions of government of Odisha, NWDA has prepared a preliminary revised proposal of Mahanadi- Godavari Link Project with reduced submergence and submitted to the state government for consideration, said the minister.