Ken-Betwa River Linking Project

The Prime Minister laid the foundation stone for the ₹ 45,000-crore Ken-Betwa River Linking Project in Khajuraho, Madhya Pradesh.

About Ken-Betwa Project

• The Ken-Betwa Project is a river interlinking initiative designed to transfer surplus water from the Ken River in Madhya Pradesh to the Betwa River in Uttar Pradesh.
• A Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV), the Ken-Betwa Link Project Authority (KBLPA), will oversee the implementation of the project.
• Successful implementation depends on consensus among the concerned states.

Benefits

• Irrigation: The project aims to provide irrigation to Bundelkhand, one of India’s most drought-affected regions.
  • It is expected to address drinking and irrigation water needs of at least 10 districts of Madhya Pradesh and various districts of Uttar Pradesh.
• Hydropower: The project is also aimed at generating more than 100 MW of hydropower and 27 MW of solar energy. 

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Concerns About Ken-Betwa Project

• Environmental Impact:  A study by IIT-Bombay scientists highlighted that large-scale water transfers through river linking projects could lead to up to a 12% mean rainfall deficit in September due to altered land-atmosphere interactions.
• Panna National Park Submergence: The project will submerge approximately 98 sq. km of Panna National Park, where tigers had gone extinct in 2009. It also requires felling 2-3 million trees.
• Core Tiger Reserve: Approval for the Daudhan dam’s construction within the core area of Panna Tiger Reserve sets a controversial precedent for heavy infrastructure in national parks and tiger reserves.
• Wildlife ConcernsGharial and Vulture Habitat: Dam threatens the Gharial population in the Ken Gharial Sanctuary and vulture nesting sites.
• Socioeconomic Issues: Displacement of Families
• • 5,228 families in Chhatarpur district.
  • 1,400 families in Panna district face displacement due to submergence and land acquisition.
  • Protests highlight concerns over inadequate compensation and low benefits for affected locals in Panna district.
• Economic Viability: The Supreme Court’s Central Empowered Committee (CEC) questioned the economic feasibility of the project, suggesting that other irrigation methods in the upper Ken basin be explored first.
• Unprecedented Construction: The Union Environment Ministry approved infrastructure within the core of a tiger reserve, despite a lack of precedent for such projects in protected areas.

About Ken and Betwa Rivers

• Origin: Both rivers originate in Madhya Pradesh.
  • The Ken River starts from the north-west slopes of the Kaimur Range in Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh, and meets the Yamuna River in Uttar Pradesh’s Banda district.
  • The Betwa River originates in the Vindhya Range near Hoshangabad, Madhya Pradesh, flows through Bundelkhand, and joins the Yamuna River at Hamirpur, Uttar Pradesh.
• Tributaries: Both rivers are tributaries of the Yamuna River.
• Dams on Betwa River: Rajghat, Paricha, and Matatila dams are located on the Betwa River.
• Ken River passes through the Panna Tiger Reserve.

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National Perspective Plan (NPP)

• The Government of India formulated the National Perspective Plan (NPP) for interlinking rivers in 1980.
• The National Water Development Agency (NWDA) is responsible for executing the interlinking of rivers under the NPP.
• The NPP consists of two components:
  • Himalayan Rivers Development Component.
  • Peninsular Rivers Development Component.
• A total of 30 link projects have been identified under the NPP.
• The Ken-Betwa Link Project (KBLP) is the first interlinking of rivers project under the NPP and is currently under implementation.

About National Water Development Agency (NWDA)

• The NWDA is a registered society under the Department of Water Resources, River Development & Ganga Rejuvenation (DoWR, RD&GR), which functions under the Ministry of Jal Shakti (MoJS).
• It was established in 1982 to conduct detailed studies, surveys, and investigations related to the National Perspective Plan (NPP) for Water Resources Development.
• One of its key functions is to undertake, construct, repair, renovate, rehabilitate, and implement projects under the Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY).

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