The Government of India has formulated the National Perspective Plan (NPP) under which 30 Interlinking of Rivers (ILR) projects have been identified to address water scarcity and augment irrigation facilities across the country. The National Water Development Agency (NWDA) has been entrusted with implementing the ILR projects under the NPP. There are 7 ILR projects involving the State of Andhra Pradesh, details of which are provided at Annexure.

Among these, the Godavari (Polavaram)–Krishna (Vijayawada) Link Project is one of the links under the Peninsular Component of the National Perspective Plan (1980). The feasibility report for this project was prepared by NWDA in September 1999. Subsequently, the link was taken over by the State of Andhra Pradesh under the Indirasagar Polavaram Project, and the Detailed Project Report (DPR) was submitted to the Central Water Commission (CWC) in 2005. The DPR was approved in 2009 for diversion of 4666 MCM through the Right Main Canal.

Following the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh, the link came under the Polavaram Project Authority as part of the Polavaram Irrigation National Project, declared under the Andhra Pradesh Re-organization Act, 2014.The water connectivity in the link canal  has been established and canal has been put into temporary operation through lift arrangements. 

Other than the above, no ILR project under the National Perspective Plan involving Andhra Pradesh has reached the stage of implementation.

The Polavaram Irrigation Project (PIP), which also encompasses the Godavari (Polavaram)–Krishna (Vijayawada) Link Project, is being implemented in the State of Andhra Pradesh and has been receiving sustained financial support from the Government of India. Between 2014 and 2024, an amount of ₹15,146 crore was reimbursed to the State Government. The Government of India approved the Revised Cost Estimate of ₹30,436 crore with additional central assistance of ₹12,157 crore to facilitate timely completion of the project. The cumulative Central Assistance /financial support extended to the State of Andhra Pradesh for the Polavaram Irrigation Project stands at ₹20,658 crore till date.

Information relating to approved project timelines, revisions thereto, causes of delays including administrative, financial, land acquisition, environmental and inter-State issues, along with the expected quantitative benefits for Andhra Pradesh including creation of additional irrigation potential, planned drinking water supply, flood-moderation and the number of districts expected to benefit therefrom, is placed in the Annexure.

The Government of Andhra Pradesh has submitted the Pre-Feasibility Report (PFR) of the Polavaram–Banakacherla Link Project, which envisages the transfer of flood waters from the Polavaram Dam to the Banakacherla Regulator. The project has an estimated cost of ₹81,900 crore. The PFR was submitted to the Central Water Commission (CWC) on 22 May 2022 for techno economic appraisal. The submitted PFR has been forwarded to Krishna River Management Board (KRMB), Godavari River Management Board (GRMB), Polavaram Project Authority (PPA) Hyderabad, and the co basin states like Telangana, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Odisha, Madhya Pradesh, and Chhattisgarh for their views/comments.

The information was provided by THE MINISTER OF JAL SHAKTI SHRI C R PATIL in a written reply to a question in Lok Sabha today.

***

ND

(Lok Sabha S Q79)

 

 

ANNEXURE

Annexure referred in reply to the Lok Sabha Question No. 79 Answered On 04.12.2025 Regarding “RIVER LINKING PROJECTS INVOLVING ANDHRA PRADESH”

Status and benefits of ILR projects involving Andhra Pradesh

S.No	Name	States benefited	Annual Irrigation (Lakh ha)	Domestic & Industrial (MCM)	Hydro power (MW)	Status
1.	a.) Mahanadi (Manibhadra) -Godavari (Dowlaiswaram) link	Andhra Pradesh (AP) and Odisha	4.43	802	445	Feasibility Report completed
	Alternate Mahanadi (Barmul) - Rushikulya – Godavari (Dowlaiswaram) link	Odisha	3.52	493.70	210	Feasibility Report completed
		AP	0.91	91.3 (Drinking water) and 115 (Industrial)
2.	Godavari (Polavaram) - Krishna (Vijayawada) link	AP	1.29	33.41	960	was taken over by State Govt. for DPR preparation and implementation. Now being implemented by PPA as National Project
3.	Godavari (Inchampalli/ SSMPP) - Krishna (Pulichintala) link	Telangana	0.36	26.28	90	DPR completed
		AP	4.38	319.7	---
4.	a.) Krishna (Nagarjunasagar) - Pennar (Somasila ) link	AP	1.68	124	90	Feasibility Report completed
	b.) Alternate under GC link: Krishna (Nagarjunasagar) - Pennar (Somasila ) link	AP	1.71	236	40	DPR completed
5.	Krishna (Srisailam) – Pennar link	AP	1.79	58	11	DPR Completed
6.	Krishna (Almatti) – Pennar link	Karnataka	0.69	66.31	--	DPR Completed
		AP	1.57	10.1(Drinking water) & 22.3 (Industrial)
7.	a.) Pennar (Somasila) - Cauvery (Grand Anicut) link	AP	0.49	1105	--	Feasibility Report completed
		Tamil Nadu	4.36
		Puducherry	0.06
	b.) Alternate Pennar (Somasila) - Cauvery (Grand Anicut) link	AP	0.51	43		DPR completed
		Tamil Nadu	1.14	618
		Puducherry	--	62

 

(रिलीज़ आईडी: 2198920) आगंतुक पटल : 32