Ecologically Disastrous Inter-linking of rivers project scrapped

Note: Since September 2002, WaterWatch Alliance has been campaigning against this project and arguing for saner, safer and truly sustainable alternatives to this mega initiative that has set alarm bells ringing both within India and among neighboring countries. The logical end of the campaign lies in the rewriting of water, agriculture, industrial and hydro-power policies.

Gopal Krishna

River inter-linking project too costly, scrapped: Water Resources Minister

The UPA government has scrapped its predecessor NDA government’s ambitious river inter-linking project, Water Resources Minister P K Bansal told Lok Sabha on December 2, 2009. Inter-linking Himalayan rivers with peninsular rivers would require Rs 4.4 lakh crore, which Bansal said, was “beyond the capacity of the Centre”.

“Inter-linking Himalayan and peninsular rivers is a huge task. It involves a massive expenditure of Rs 4.4 lakh crore and such kind of money is not available to us,” Bansal said.

Bansal’s announcement of scrapping the project comes about two months after Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi said inter-linking the rivers was a bad idea and would lead to an environmental disaster.

However, peninsular and Himalayan rivers would be linked separately, Bansal said, though the projects would have a long gestation period.

Bansal said five projects of inter-linking peninsular rivers were on the Centre’s priority list and it was “pursuing it in the right earnest after taking consent of the concerned state governments and environmental and rehabilitation issues”. “At present only 5 of the 14 projects of inter-linking peninsular rivers are on the government’s priority list. It will involve expenditure of Rs 33,000 crore and would take around 9-10 years for completion,” Bansal said. Kane-Betwa inter-linking project involving Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh is one of the five priority projects.

Allaying fears of members from Orissa and Chhattisgarh that inter-linking Kane and Betwa would submerge several areas in these states, Bansal said none of the projects would be taken up without the consent of states and that he would like to have a meeting of chief ministers of the concerned states to take them “on board for speedy implantation of the projects”.

Union Ministry of Water Resources

Inter-linking of rivers

RAJYA SABHA

Most of the States are supportive of the concept of the interlinking of rivers project; provided the project can some how ensure a “win-win” situation for all States. However, the State of Kerala, has passed a resolution in the Kerala Assembly to drop the proposal of Pamba-Achankovil-Vaippar link. The Central Government has taken note of it and has decided not to treat it as a priority link for consensus building purpose at present.

An outlay of Rs. 32.44 crore has been approved of the preparation of Prefeasibility/Feasibility/Detailed Project Reports of river link proposals under National Perspective Plan, preparation of Prefeasibility/Feasibility Reports of Intra-state links and other studies in this regard by NWDA during current year.

69 Schemes with a total cost of Rs. 163.63 crore from Orissa have been included under Flood Management Programme (FMP) for providing central assistance amounting to Rs. 122.72 crore. First installment of central assistance amounting to Rs 45.90 crore for these 69 schemes was released during financial year 2008-09.

Further, there is a provision of Rs. 900 crore during financial year 2009-10 for the whole scheme “Flood Management Programme” for providing central assistance to all the states after approval of the proposals by the Empowered Committee on FMP under the Secretary (Expenditure), Ministry of Finance. As such, there is no provision for allocating funds on yearly basis to specific state under FMP. .

This information was given by the Minister of State for Water Resources, Shri Vincent H. Pala in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha on 26 November, 2009.

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Union Ministry of Water Resources

Review of inter-linking of Rivers

Lok Sabha

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 of 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. Based on various studies conducted, NWDA has identified 30 links (16 under Peninsular Component & 14 under Himalayan Component) for preparation of Feasibility Reports (FRs). Out of these, FRs of 14 links under Peninsular Component and of 2 links (Indian Portion) under Himalayan Component have been completed. Detailed Project Report (DPR) of one priority link namely Ken – Betwa has also been completed. Further, NWDA has taken up the DPRs of another two links after concurrence of the concerned states, namely Par – Tapi – Narmada & Damanganga – Pinjal which are planned to be completed by December, 2011. Godavari (Polavaram)- Krishna (Vijawada) link is part of the Polavaram project of the Andhra Pradesh. Planning Commission has given investment clearance to the Polavaram Project and the Government of Andhra Pradesh has taken up the above project including link component as per their proposals. Further, NWDA has received 31 proposals of intra – state links from 7 States out of which Pre Feasibility Reports (PFRs) of 7 intrastate links have been completed.

The activities of NWDA are reviewed on Plan to Plan basis. The Government has reviewed the activities of NWDA while finalizing its outlay for XI Plan. A provision of Rs. 182.80 crore has been kept in Eleventh Five Year Plan for the preparation of (PFRs) / FRs / DPRs of river link proposals under NPP, preparation of PFRs/ FRs of Intra-state links proposed by states and other studies in this regard by NWDA. NWDA has incurred an expenditure of Rs. 271.44 crore from 1982-83 upto October, 09 for carrying out above works.

The Government of India has constituted a Committee of Environmentalists, Social Scientists and other Experts on 28th December, 2004, under the Chairmanship of Secretary, Ministry of Water Resources to advise the Government on the environmental and socio-economic issues involved in inter linking of rivers programme. Seven meetings of this Committee have been held so far.

This information was given by the Minister of State for Water Resources, Shri Vincent H. Pala in a written reply in the Lok Sabha on 25 November, 2009.

Also take a look at the following statements in the recent past:

1 Inter-linking of rivers (PIB 26-11-2009)
2 Review of inter-linking of Rivers (PIB 25-11-2009)
3 Study on Inter-Linking of Rivers’ Programme (PIB 17-2-2009)
4 14 Water Resources Projects declared as National Projects (PIB 23-12-2008)
5 Availability of Water (PIB 17-3-2008)
6 Utilisation of Water (PIB 17-3-2008)
7 MoUs of three river water links to be signed soon (PIB 31-1-2008)
8 Inter-Linking of rivers in India (PIB 27-11-2007)
9 Inter-Linking of Rivers (PIB 20-11-2007)
10 Inter-linking of river and flood water (PIB 28-11-2006)