Prime Minister Modi recently launched the ₹44,605 crore Ken-Betwa river interlinking project to transfer water between the Ken and Betwa basins. However, it faces legal, environmental challenges, and its long-term viability is uncertain.

Objectives and Costs

• At a budgeted cost of ₹44,605 crore, the Ken-Betwa river (both tributaries of the Yamuna) interlinking project is one of the flagship initiatives under India’s National Perspective Plan for water management.
• The project seeks to transfer water from the relatively “water-surplus” Ken river basin to the “water-deficient” Betwa basin.
• Two Phases: The Ken-Betwa Link Project consists of two phases.
  • Phase-I includes the construction of the Daudhan Dam complex, along with the Low Level Tunnel, High Level Tunnel, Ken-Betwa Link Canal, and powerhouses. 
  • Phase-II involves three components: the Lower Orr Dam, Bina Complex Project, and Kotha Barrage.
• The water will be used for irrigation, drinking water, and other purposes in the region, including the Bundelkhand area, which has long struggled with water scarcity.   

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Legal and Environmental Concerns

• National Green Tribunal’s Pending Deliberations: The project’s approval by the Union Cabinet in 2021 came despite ongoing deliberations by the National Green Tribunal (NGT), which was considering a legal challenge to the project’s environmental clearance.
• Bypassing Environmental Scrutiny: The proposed Daudhan Dam will be constructed inside the Panna Tiger Reserve, a critically sensitive ecological area. Experts have warned that this will result in the destruction of thousands of trees and the destabilization of fragile ecosystems.
  • The government has ignored critical inputs from experts, including those from a Supreme Court-appointed empowered committee, and bypassed due process.
• Lack of Hydrological Data Transparency: The government has refused to release hydrological data on the Ken and Betwa river basins, citing sensitivity due to their location within the international Ganga basin.
• Same Drought Time: Various studies have highlighted that the Ken and the Betwa basins suffer floods and droughts together.
  • The Betwa basin’s water deficiency is primarily due to extensive irrigation, and experts warn that diverting more water from the Ken basin could exacerbate the problem for both regions.
• Need for Water Storage: By maintaining environmental flow and focusing on natural storage can improve the situation in Betwa basin.
• Political Motives: Critics argue that the project is politically motivated, aimed at pacifying voters in the Bundelkhand region by promising immediate water relief.

Pros and Cons of River Linking Projects

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Conclusion

Like other large-scale projects, the burden of addressing the negative consequences of the Ken-Betwa project and others, like the Parbati-Kalisindh-Chambal link, is likely to fall on the public. This could manifest as ecological damage, resource mismanagement, or financial costs. The public may bear the long-term risks of projects that may not fulfill their promises.

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