Interlinking of Rivers in

India - Use of GIS, Remote Sensing and Spatial

Planning (GEOSMART INDIA Conference – 3.3.2016)

N.C. Jain Director (Technical)

National Water Development Agency

National Water Development Agency

Need for Inter Basin Water

Transfers [IBWT]

• Large variation in rainfall and available water resources in space and time

• As a result of this variability, drought and floods co – exist in the country

• Diversion of water from water surplus basins to water deficit basins/areas

• Use of the surplus water which is otherwise flowing into the sea unutilized

• To mitigate likely adverse impact of climate change, short term and long term measures including IBWT projects required

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Proposals for Interlinking of Rivers

- Historical Background

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• ILR is not a new concept

• Sir Arthur Cotton’s Navigational Plan in

1850s - Not pursued

• Dr. K.L. Rao’s Proposal of Ganga

Cauvery Link and National Water Grid

Proposal (1972)

• Capt. Dastur’s Garland Canal Proposal

(1978)

• Above two not found to be techno –

economically feasible

• National Perspective Plan (1980) - MoWR

Water Transfer Links PENINSULAR COMPONENT

1. Mahanadi (Manibhadra) – Godavari (Dowlaiswaram) 2. Godavari (Inchampalli) – Krishna (Pulichintala) 3. Godavari (Inchampalli) – Krishna (Nagarjunasagar) 4. Godavari (Polavaram) – Krishna (Vijayawada) 5. Krishna (Almatti) – Pennar 6. Krishna (Srisailam) – Pennar 7. Krishna (Nagarjunasagar) – Pennar (Somasila) 8. Pennar (Somasila) – Cauvery (Grand

Anicut) 9. Cauvery (Kattalai) – Vaigai – Gundar 10. Ken – Betwa 11. Parbati – Kalisindh – Chambal 12. Par – Tapi – Narmada 13. Damanganga – Pinjal 14. Bedti – Varda 15. Netravati – Hemavati 16. Pamba – Achankovil – Vaippar

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1. Manas –Sankosh - Tista - Ganga

2. Kosi – Ghagra

3. Gandak – Ganga

4. Ghagra – Yamuna

5. Sarda – Yamuna

6. Yamuna – Rajasthan

7. Rajasthan – Sabarmati

8. Chunar – Sone Barrage

9. Sone Dam – Southern Tributaries of Ganga

10. Ganga – Damodar – Subernarekha

11. Subernarekha – Mahanadi

12. Kosi – Mechi

13. Farakka – Sunderbans

14. Jogighopa – Tista – Farakka (Alternate) to No. 1)

HIMALAYAN COMPONENT

Water Transfer Links

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Benefits of ILR Programme (As per

NPP) • Additional Irrigation Potential : 35 Mha. due to ILR Program • Hydro-Power Generation : 34,000 MW • Other Benefits :

Domestic & Industrial Water Supply Mitigation of Droughts Flood Management Navigational Facilities Employment Generation Fisheries Salinity Control Pollution Control Infrastructural Development Socio – Economic Development

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Priority Links under NPP • Present Status of Priority links and Preparation of Detailed

Project Reports under National Perspective Plan (NPP)

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Link Project States Status of DPR

Ken – Betwa Phase I

MP & UP DPR completed – April, 2010

Ken – Betwa Phase II

MP & UP DPR completed – January,2014

Damanganga – Pinjal

Gujarat & Maharashtra

DPR completed – April, 2014

Par – Tapi – Narmada

Gujarat & Maharashtra

DPR completed in August, 2015

Mahanadi – Godavari

Odisha & A.P.

• Alternative proposal presented to Hon’ble Odisha CM on 29.5.2015.

• Hon’ble Minister (WR,RD&GR) had a meeting with Hon’ble Chief Minister of Odisha on 3-2-2016 regarding the project.

• FR/DPR to be taken up after consent of Odisha.

Manas – Sankosh – Tista – Ganga

Assam, West Bengal & Bihar

Feasibility Report under preparation. To be completed by March, 2016.

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9 National Water Development Agency

Daudhan Dam Submergence at FRL 288.0 m,

Tiger Path and Buffer area to Core area

compartments

Amanganj 3006 Kishangarh 4529 Chandernagar Buffer 473

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National Water Development Agency

Existing command of Miyagaon branch canal

Ukai

Sardar Sarovar

Link canal

Initially Proposed 7 dams

Proposed 6 dams

X 12

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25 National Water Development Agency

26 National Water Development Agency

•The Hon’ble Supreme Court delivered a judgment on 27-2-2012 regarding Interlinking of Rivers and directed Govt. of India to constitute a Committee under the chairmanship of Hon’ble Minister of Water Resources.

•Union Cabinet has approved the constitution of the “Special Committee on the Inter-linking of Rivers” on 24.07.2014.

•The Special Committee has been constituted by the Ministry of WR,RD&GR vide Gazette Notification dated 23.09.2014 and eight meetings held so far.

•Four (4) Sub-Committees constituted which are meeting regularly for their assigned task.

Constitution of Special Committee on

“Interlinking of Rivers”

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• Union Cabinet while approving constitution of Special Committee for ILR (SCILR) in its meeting held on 24th July, 2014 directed that a committee comprising of experts be constituted to look into the issues relating to interlinking of rivers.

• In compliance to direction of Union Cabinet, MoWR, RD & GR vide O.M. dated 13th April, 2015 has constituted a Task Force for Interlinking of Rivers (TF-ILR) headed by Chief Advisor, MoWR, RD & GR.

• The Task Force will assist the Special Committee for ILR and MoWR, RD & GR regarding the implementation of ILR programme.

• Two meetings of TFILR held so far. National Water Development Agency

Constitution of Task Force for ILR

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Some Important Issues and Challenges

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• Most important challenge in the implementation of ILR.

• The States surplus in water resources do not agree to such surpluses

• It is difficult to have agreement between donor and donee states as the latter in general demand more water.

• The States are apprehensive about disturbing the existing allocation of water as per awards.

• Some States have apprehension that link proposals may have an adverse effect on their existing irrigation and power requirements.

• Some States are challenging the very definition of ‘Surplus Basin’ agreed earlier.

• Efforts are being made continuously for obtaining consensus amongst the concerned States.

National Water Development Agency

Lack of Consensus amongst concerned

States

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• Achieving consensus of concerned States for an ILR project is a big challenge.

• Many reasons for disagreement. • Consensus only through persuasions and

mutual agreements. • Presently no legal provision through which Govt.

of India can intervene in this regard. • Most of the river basins being interstate, an

appropriate legislation under Entry 56 of the constitution is an option.

• Need for detailed deliberation in the matter. • In view of the Hon’bel Supreme Court judgment

declaring ILR in National interest and directing its implementation, can Apex court be approached for some legal intervention in achieving the desired consensus?

National Water Development Agency

Need for Enabling Legal Provisions

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Water and Food Security

• Large Storage Projects critical for

Water Security

Food Security

Energy Security

National Security

• Per Capita Storage in Water

Resources Projects in India is very

low

• Storage needs to be increased

hugely

• ILR Projects potentially fill the gap

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Per Capita Storage – a comparison

20

0

74

6

24

8632

55

47

2961

50

0

1000

2000

3000

4000

5000

6000

7000

US

Aust

ralia

Bra

zil

Chin

a

South A

fric

a

India

Per

Cap

ita S

tora

ge

(cu

bic

met

re)

National Water Development Agency, MoWR

Success stories of some important Indian IBWT Projects

Name of Scheme Water transfer (BCM/ year)

Periyar - Vaigai Link (1897) 1.29

Kurnool - Cudappa Canal 2.68

[Tungabhadra (Krishna) – Pennar] (1882)

Telugu Ganga Canal [Krishna – Pennar] (1983 onwards) 0.34

Parambikulam - Aliyar Project (1967) 1.49

Ghagra – Sarda (1974) 15.16

Madhopur – Beas link [Ravi - Beas] (1969) 4.50

Beas – Sutlej link (1963) 4.71

Indira Gandhi Canal Project (1960 onwards) 9.36

[Beas, Sutlej rivers water to Thar desert of Rajasthan]

Sardar Sarovar Scheme (1980 onwards) 11.60

[Narmada to Sabarmati and to Thar desert of Rajasthan]

Tehri Dam Project [Ganga to Yamuna] (2005) 0.44

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• Inter basin water transfers not a new concept.

• Large benefits of irrigation, water supply and hydropower in ILR programme.

• Building of consensus among concerned States is the most important challenge.

• Need for enabling legal provisions. • Environmental and R&R concerns to be

addressed appropriately. • Large financial resources required.

Innovative Funding mechanism to be evolved.

• Achieving water and food security through ILR for sustainable development.

• With the help of Remote Sensing/GIS tools the implementation of ILR will be on fast tract.

Concluding Remarks

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