- Why in news
- On 5 February 2026, the Jal Shakti Minister told the Lok Sabha that feasibility reports for 26 of 30 NPP river links are done and Ken-Betwa is the only priority link under implementation.
- What it is
- The National Perspective Plan (1980) of the Ministry of Irrigation (now Jal Shakti) plans transfer of water from surplus to deficit basins through the Himalayan and Peninsular river components. The National Water Development Agency (NWDA), set up in 1982, studies the links and prepares pre-feasibility reports, feasibility reports and DPRs. Ken-Betwa is the first link under the NPP to reach implementation.
- Report status
- Feasibility Reports are done for 26 of 30 identified links; DPRs for 13.
- Cost sharing
- Centre-State cost sharing is decided project by project, not uniform.
- Institutions
- The programme is guided by SCILR, the NWDA Governing Body and the Task Force for Interlinking of Rivers.
Don’t confuse with FR vs DPR: A Feasibility Report checks technical and economic viability; a DPR is the detailed design and cost document. FRs are done for more links than DPRs.
Don’t confuse with MoU vs MoA: In the Parbati-Kalisindh-Chambal link, an MoU (Jan 2024) was for preparing the DPR; an MoA (Dec 2024) is for implementation.
Economy terms and data: 42 Prelims questions since 2013, rising in recent years; they test what a term or instrument means. In Mains, 12 news-triggered questions.
Why it matters
- Links can move water from surplus to deficit basins, adding irrigation, drinking water and regional water security.
Problems
- Only one priority link is in implementation, since inter-State consent and cost sharing take long to settle.
- Environmental and displacement concerns, and basins with no surplus water, as with Netravati-Hemavathi.
Way forward
- Settle inter-State water sharing early through the SCILR and Task Force, with transparent EIA and rehabilitation.
Put in your answer
Netravati-Hemavathi: Studies stopped as no surplus water remains in the Netravati basin after the Yettinahole project.
- 2017Mains GS3 · Q8Discuss advantages of river linking and its environmental impact.
- 2020Mains GS1 · Q14Critically examine whether river interlinking solves droughts, floods, navigation problems.
- 2017Mains GS1 · Q16How can floods become sustainable irrigation and inland navigation sources?
- 2016Prelims Q85Which river pair was recently undertaken for linking?
UPSC’s own questions that come close to this issue, from our Prelims and Mains banks.
Prelims practice · Single answer
Ours, not from a UPSC paper
With reference to the interlinking of rivers under the National Perspective Plan (NPP), consider the following statements:
Which one of the following is correct?
True or false?
1 of 7
Statements the way Prelims prints them. Say first, then see the fact.
1.Under the National Perspective Plan, no interlinking of rivers project pertains to the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir.
True. The release says no NPP link project pertains to J&K.
2.Ken-Betwa is the only priority link that has entered the implementation stage.
True. Ken-Betwa is the only priority link in implementation.
3.Detailed Project Reports have been completed for 26 of the 30 identified links under the NPP.
False. Feasibility Reports are done for 26 links; DPRs for 13.
4.The Centre and States share costs of river-linking projects in one fixed uniform ratio.
False. Cost-sharing is not uniform and is decided for each project.
5.An Environmental Impact Assessment is undertaken for every interlinking project while the FR and DPR are prepared.
True. EIA is done during FR and DPR preparation for each project.
6.The North Koel Reservoir Project is an inter-State project with its command area in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh.
False. Its command area is in Bihar and Jharkhand.
7.The National Water Development Agency was set up to study and prepare reports on river links under the National Perspective Plan.
True. NWDA (1982) prepares PFR, FR and DPR for links.
Written by us from the release, not by UPSC; checked by a second model.
Worth revising until Prelims 2027: most news questions come within two years of the event.