Ministry of Water
Resources, formerly known as the Ministry of Irrigation, formulated
a National Perspective for Water Resources Development in 1980
which envisages inter-linkages among Peninsular Rivers and Himalayan
Rivers for transferring water from surplus basins to water deficit
areas for optimum utilisation of water resources. The Government
of India has established the National Water Development Agency
(NWDA) in 1982 as an autonomous society to carryout water balance
and other studies and prepare feasibility reports. The NWDA
has identified 30 linkages for preparing feasibility report
of which feasibility reports for six links have been completed.
The study of environmental and ecological aspects of interbasin
water transfer link projects forms part of the feasibility studies
undertaken by NWDA in respect of every link under National Perspective
for Water Resources Development. As per these studies, beneficial
impacts of the link projects include proving water supply for
domestic, irrigation and industrial uses, mitigation of floods
in the rivers down stream of reservoirs, recreation, pisciculture,
power generation, employment avenues, socio-economic upliftment
of people, improvement in ground water recharge etc.
The major undesirable
impacts will be due to submergence under reservoirs and land
acquisition for the link canal. To the extent possible, existing
and ongoing projects are proposed for integration in the link
proposals without creation of any additional storage. Thus,
every effort is made to minimize the rehabilitation and the
resettlement (R&R) problems due to the link projects. In
respect of projects proposed by States/NWDA forming part of
the link proposals, adequate provision has been made to take
care of R&R aspects, compensatory afforestation etc. Mostly,
the link proposals are so aligned to avoid forests, habitations,
National Monuments/Parks.
This information
was given by the Union Minister of State for Water Resources,
Smt. Bijoya Chakravarty in a written reply in the Lok Sabha
today.
