Parliament Question: Cauvery-Vaigai-Gundar River Link Project

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF JAL SHAKTI DEPARTMENT OF WATER RESOURCES, RIVER DEVELOPMENT & GANGA REJUVENATION LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1942 ANSWERED ON 30.07.2026 CAUVERY-VAIGAI-GUNDAR RIVER LINK PROJECT

1942. Dr. GANAPATHY RAJKUMAR P:

THIRU THANGA TAMILSELVAN:

Will the Minister of JAL SHAKTI be pleased to state:

(a) whether the Government has ever assessed the present stage of implementation of the Cauvery-Vaigai-Gundar River Link Project and milestones/additional irrigation potential likely to be created through the said Project in Southern Tamil Nadu for the next two years;

(b) if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor;

(c) whether the Government has ever examined the project's role in groundwater recharge across drought-prone districts such as Theni, Virudhunagar and Ramanathapuram in Tamil Nadu and if so, the details thereof; and

(d) whether the Government has received any request from the State Government of Tamil Nadu for financial assistance for the Cauvery-Vaigai- Gundar Project and if so, the details thereof along with the action taken thereon? 1ANSWER THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR JAL SHAKTI (SHRI RAJ BHUSHAN CHOUDHARY)

(a) & (b) The Cauvery–Vaigai–Gundar (CVG) Link Project is one of the link projects identified under the National Perspective Plan. The Detailed Project Report (DPR) of the link was completed and circulated by National Water Development Agency (NWDA) in 2020. The project envisages diversion of about 2252 MCM of water from the Kattalai Barrage on the Cauvery River, in partial exchange of surplus water proposed to be received in the Cauvery basin through the Godavari–Cauvery Link Project .

(c) As per the DPR prepared by NWDA, the link project covers drought-prone districts of Karur, Tiruchirappalli, Pudukkottai, Sivaganga, Ramanathapuram, Virudhunagar and Thoothukudi, and is expected to indirectly improve groundwater availability by reducing dependence on groundwater for irrigation and supplying about 218 MCM of water for domestic and industrial use to en-route areas. However, the Central Ground Water Board has not undertaken any project-specific study to assess the groundwater-recharge impact of the CVG Link Project in Theni, Virudhunagar and Ramanathapuram districts.

(d) No proposal of State Government of Tamil Nadu for financial assistance of the Cauvery–Vaigai–Gundar Link Project is under consideration of Ministry of Jal Shakti. ***** 2