The Union Government is planning to establish National Interlinking of Rivers Authority (NIRA)-an exclusive body to implement projects for linking rivers.
Function
The proposed body is expected to take up both inter-State and intra-State projects. It will also make arrangements for generating funds, internally and externally.
About River Interlinking
- The National Perspective Plan (NPP) was prepared by the then Ministry of Irrigation in August 1980 for transferring water from water surplus basins to water-deficit basins.
- Under the NPP, the National Water Development Agency (NWDA) received 47 intra-State link proposals from nine States. NWDA prepared Pre-feasibility reports of 37 links and sent to the concerned States. The remaining links have been found not feasible or withdrawn by concerned States.
- The DPRs of intra-State links viz. (i) BurhiGandak-Noon-Baya-Ganga link of Bihar, (ii) Kosi-Mechi link of Bihar, (iii) Ponnaiyar-Palar Link of Tamil Nadu, (iv) Wainganga (Gosikhurd)-Nalganga (PurnaTapi) Link of Maharashtra have been completed and sent to the concerned State Governments. Out of the above four intra-State links, the techno-economic clearance for Kosi-Mechi intra-State link project has been accorded by Ministry of Jal Shakti. The Environmental clearance for the project has also been accorded by MoEF& CC.
- Ken-Betwa (K-B) link project was declared as a National Project by Government of India in February, 2008, as per the then existing norms for consideration of any project as National Project.
