STATUS OF NATIONAL RIVERS INTERLINKING PROGRAMME

Ministry of Jal Shakti STATUS OF NATIONAL RIVERS INTERLINKING PROGRAMME प्रव तथ: 10 AUG 2026 4:50PM by PIB Delhi Government of India formulated the National Perspective Plan (NPP) for Inter-Basin Water Transfer and 30 Interlinking of Rivers (ILR) Projects were identified under NPP (16 link projects under the Peninsular component and 14 link projects under the Himalayan component). National Water Development Agency

(NWDA) has been entrusted with the work of ILR. The present status of all 30 ILR projects is at Annexure.

The Ken-Betwa Link Project (KBLP) is the only priority link project under the NPP that has entered the implementation stage. The project, with an estimated cost of ₹44,605 crore, is envisaged to provide irrigation to about 11.88 lakh hectares, drinking water supply to about 62 lakh people, 103 MW of hydropower and 27 MW of solar power.

In addition, the Polavaram Irrigation Project (PIP), which incorporates the Godavari (Polavaram)–Krishna

(Vijayawada) link, stands classified as a National Project and is executed by the Government of Andhra Pradesh and Polavaram Project Authority (PPA). The project envisages irrigation to about 7.2 lakh acres and stabilization of 23.5 lakh acres in the Godavari and Krishna delta systems, diversion of 80 TMC of Godavari water to the Krishna basin, drinking and industrial water supply including to Visakhapatnam, domestic water supply to about 28.5 lakh population in 611 villages, and hydropower generation of 960 MW. The Polavaram Irrigation Project has received cumulative Central Assistance of ₹20,658 crore.

An Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) forms part of the preparation of Feasibility Reports (FRs) and Detailed Project Reports (DPRs) for every Interlinking of Rivers (ILR) project, with assessment of environmental and socio-economic impacts. For the Ken–Betwa Link Project, a comprehensive EIA has been completed along with an Integrated Landscape Management Plan (ILMP), which outlines measures relating to catchment-area treatment, landscape-level ecological management, biodiversity conservation, command-area development and long-term monitoring of environmental parameters. For all ILR projects, including the Ken–Betwa Link Project, Land Acquisition and Rehabilitation & Resettlement (R&R) components stand included in the sanctioned project structure, and project execution conforms to applicable environmental, forest-clearance and R&R provisions.

*** ANNEXURE

THE DETAILS OF RIVER LINKING PROJECTS WITH THEIR PRESENT STATUS:

Peninsular Component Sl.No Name States benefited Status1 Mahanadi (Manibhadra) - Godavari Andhra Pradesh (AP) Feasibility Report

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

(Vijayawada) link @ Maharashtra and completed Telangana 3 a.) Godavari (Inchampalli) - Krishna Telangana Feasibility Report

(Nagarjunasagar) link completed b.) Alternate Godavari (Inchampalli) - Telangana Krishna (Nagarjunasagar) link * DPR completed 4 Godavari (Inchampalli/ SSMPP) - Telangana and AP DPR completed Krishna (Pulichintala) link 5 a.) Krishna (Nagarjunasagar) - Pennar AP Feasibility Report (Somasila ) link completed b.)Alternate Krishna (Nagarjunasagar) AP - Pennar (Somasila ) link * DPR completed 6 Krishna (Srisailam) – Pennar link AP DPR Completed 7 Krishna (Almatti) – Pennar link Karnataka &AP DPR completed 8 a.) Pennar (Somasila) - Cauvery AP, Tamil Nadu and Feasibility Report (Grand Anicut) link Puducherry completed b.) Alternate Pennar (Somasila) - AP, Tamil Nadu and Cauvery (Grand Anicut) link * Puducherry DPR completed 9 Cauvery (Kattalai) - Vaigai -Gundar Tamil Nadu DPR completed link10 a) Parbati –Kalisindh - Chambal link Madhya Pradesh (MP) Feasibility Report and Rajasthan completed b) Modified Parbati – Kalisindh- MP and Rajasthan MoA for implementation Chambal link has been signed by both the States 11 Damanganga - Pinjal link Maharashtra (only DPR completed and water supply to dropped from status of Mumbai) “priority links” 12 Par-Tapi-Narmada link Gujarat and DPR completed and Maharashtra dropped from status of “priority links” 13 Ken-Betwa link Uttar Pradesh (UP) and DPR completed and work MP has been commenced.

14 Pamba - Achankovil - Vaippar link Tamil Nadu and Kerala Feasibility Report completed 15 Bedti - Varda link @@ Karnataka DPR completed 16 Netravati – Hemavati link** Karnataka Pre-Feasibility Report completed * Due to pending consensus on Manibhadra and Inchampalli dams, Phase-I of the Project to divert unutilized waters of Godavari River was carried out, and DPR of Godavari (Inchampalli) – Krishna

(Nagarjunasagar) - Pennar (Somasila) – Cauvery (Grand Anicut) link projects (combined) called the Godavari-Cauvery link was completed. The report has further been updated, terminating the link canal at Manimukhta nadi, a Tributary of the Vellar River flowing adjacent to the 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 completed by the Govt. of Andhra Pradesh and Polavaram Project Authority.

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

HIMALAYAN COMPONENT Sl.No Name States/Countries Status benefited

1. Kosi-Mechi link*** Bihar and Nepal PFR completed and proposal dropped2. Kosi-Ghaghra link Bihar, Uttar Pradesh (UP) Feasibility Report and Nepal completed

3. Gandak - Ganga link UP and Nepal Feasibility Report completed

4. Ghaghra - Yamuna link UP and Nepal Feasibility Report completed

5. Sarda - Yamuna link UP and Uttarakhand DPR Completed

6. Yamuna-Rajasthan link Haryana and Rajasthan Feasibility Report completed

7. Rajasthan-Sabarmati link Rajasthan and Gujarat Feasibility Report completed

8. Chunar - Sone Barrage link Bihar and UP Feasibility Report completed

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

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

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 Feasibility Report completed

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

14. Subarnarekha-Mahanadi link WB and Odisha Feasibility Report completed Kosi-Mechi link *** - Kosi Mechi Inter State link was dropped due to international dimensions and on request of State Govt. of Bihar, Kosi-Mechi Intra State link was studied by NWDA and its DPR was submitted to State Govt.

The information was provided by THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR JAL SHAKTI SHRI RAJ BHUSHAN CHOUDHARY in a written reply to a question in Rajya Sabha today. ***ND/HM (Rajya Sabha USQ 2473) (रलीज़ आईडी: 2297168) आगंतुक पटल : 1692 इस वज्ञ को इन भाषाओ ंम पढ़: Urdu , ही , Tamil , Telugu