{"id":151564,"date":"2025-01-15T19:32:39","date_gmt":"2025-01-15T14:02:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/?post_type=current-affairs&#038;p=151564"},"modified":"2025-01-15T19:32:39","modified_gmt":"2025-01-15T14:02:39","slug":"pkc-ercp-submerge-the-ranthambhore-tiger-reserve","status":"publish","type":"current-affairs","link":"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/current-affairs\/pkc-ercp-submerge-the-ranthambhore-tiger-reserve","title":{"rendered":"Parbati-Kalisindh-Chambal-Eastern Rajasthan Canal Project (PKC-ERCP)"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><b>Parbati-Kalisindh-Chambal-Eastern Rajasthan Canal Project<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> will submerge 37 sq km of the <\/span><b>Ranthambhore Tiger Reserve<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, effectively <\/span><b>splitting it into two sections<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, raising ecological concerns.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-size: 18pt;\"><b>About PKC-ERCP<\/b><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-151541 alignright\" src=\"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/148-6787b631c2ad5.webp\" alt=\"PKC-ERCP\" width=\"399\" height=\"292\" srcset=\"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/148-6787b631c2ad5.webp 721w, https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/148-6787b631c2ad5-300x219.webp 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 399px) 100vw, 399px\" \/><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The <\/span><b>PKC-ERCP<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, a flagship<\/span><b> river-linking irrigation project, <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">aims to provide water for irrigation, drinking, and industrial purposes to 23 districts in Rajasthan.<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Modified Parbati-Kalisindh-Chambal-ERCP (PKC-ERCP) Link Project is an <\/span><b>inter-state project between Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> that integrated the<\/span><b> PKC link<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> with the <\/span><b>Eastern Rajasthan Canal Project (ERCP).<\/b><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><b>Eastern Rajasthan Canal Project (ERCP)<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> envisages <\/span><b>intra-basin transfer <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">of water within the <\/span><b>Chambal Basin<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> by utilising<\/span><b> surplus monsoon water available in Kalisindh, Parvati, Mej and Chakan sub-basins<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and diverting it into <\/span><b>water deficit sub-basins of Banas, Gambhiri, Banganga and Parbati<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to provide drinking and industrial water to 13 districts of eastern Rajasthan.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><b>Objective:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Channel <\/span><b>surplus water from the Chambal river basin<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to benefit 3.45 crore people in Rajasthan.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><b>Scale of Submergence:<\/b>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Of the total 408.86 sq km submergence area in Rajasthan, <\/span><b>227 sq km will be under the reservoir of a proposed dam<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> on the <\/span><b>Banas river.<\/b><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This includes<\/span><b> 37.03 sq km<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> from the <\/span><b>Ranthambhore National Park <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">and <\/span><b>Keladevi Wildlife Sanctuary.<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><b>Infrastructure:<\/b><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: none;\">\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The largest dam under the project is a 39-m-high and 1.6-km-long dam near Doongri village, 30 km from Sawai Madhopur.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><b>Phase One<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> includes construction of the <\/span><b>Doongri dam, five barrages (Ramgarh, Mahalpur, Navnera, Mej, Rathod), and a water conductor system.<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Timeline:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> The first phase is scheduled for completion <\/span><b>by 2028.<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span class=\"vc_button\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pw.live\/batches\/upsc\/pw-only-ias?utm_source=seo+upsc+batch&#038;utm_medium=seo+upsc&#038;utm_campaign=seo&#038;utm_id=upsc\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Enroll now for UPSC Online Classes<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-size: 18pt;\"><b>Concerns Regarding the Project<\/b><\/span><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><b>Impact on Tiger Reserve: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The submergence will fragment the<\/span><b> Ranthambhore Tiger Reserve<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, home to 57 tigers, affecting their habitat connectivity and biological carrying capacity.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><b>High-Value Forests:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Conservationists stress avoiding high-value forest areas, suggesting compensatory measures like notifying double the submerged area as forest land.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><b>Ecological Challenges: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The dam\u2019s submergence zone will disrupt the<\/span><b> north-south dispersal routes of wildlife<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, raising concerns over long-term habitat sustainability.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><span style=\"font-size: 18pt;\"><b>About Ranthambhore Tiger Reserve<\/b><\/span><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><b>Location:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Situated at the junction of the Aravalis and Vindhyan ranges in Rajasthan.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><b>Composition:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> It includes Ranthambhore<\/span><b> National Park, Sawai Mansingh Wildlife Sanctuary, <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">and <\/span><b>Keladevi Wildlife Sanctuary.<\/b><\/li>\n<li><b>Rivers:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Drained by the<\/span><b> Chambal river in the south <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">and the<\/span><b> Banas river in the north.<\/b><\/li>\n<li><b>Ecology:<\/b><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: none;\">\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Features<\/span><b> tropical dry deciduous forests<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, dominated by grasslands and drought-resistant <\/span><b>Dhok trees.<\/b><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Hosts diverse fauna, including tigers, leopards, and sloth bears.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><span style=\"font-size: 18pt;\"><b>Significance of PKC-ERCP<\/b><\/span><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><b>Economic Benefits: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Provides water for irrigation, drinking, and industrial use across 23 districts in Rajasthan, benefiting 3.45 crore people.<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Supports water supply to Malwa and Chambal regions of Madhya Pradesh.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><b>Strategic Importance: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Enhances agricultural productivity and addresses water scarcity issues in drought-prone regions.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><b>Development Potential: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Includes renovation of the Isarda dam and construction of additional dams in Madhya Pradesh, such as the Kumbhraj dam on Parbati.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><span style=\"font-size: 18pt;\"><b>Environmental Concerns<\/b><\/span><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><b>Wildlife Impact:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Submergence will reduce the habitat area for tigers and other species in the reserve.<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Potential water shortages during summers could stress the reserve further.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><b>Recommendations: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Conservationists suggest compensatory forest land adjacent to the reserve or creating buffer zones to mitigate damage.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><span style=\"font-size: 18pt;\"><b>Way Forward<\/b><\/span><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Ecological Assessments:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Conduct detailed studies on the environmental impact of the submergence.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Avoid High-Value Forests:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Design dams and infrastructure to minimize impacts on critical tiger habitats.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Compensatory Measures:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Implement compensatory afforestation or notify additional forest areas.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Stakeholder Collaboration<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: Engage local communities, wildlife experts, and policymakers for sustainable implementation.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Strict Monitoring:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Regular monitoring of the project&#8217;s ecological and socio-economic effects to ensure balance between development and conservation.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span class=\"vc_button\"><a href=\"https:\/\/store.pw.live\/govt-entrance-exams\/upsc-books\/upsc-textbooks?utm_source=SEO&#038;utm_medium=PW+Live&#038;utm_campaign=UPSC+Textbooks\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Check Out UPSC NCERT Textbooks From PW Store<\/span><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"vc_table_green\"><\/p>\n<table style=\"width: 99.6988%;\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 100%;\">\n<h2><span style=\"font-size: 18pt;\"><b>About Chambal River Basin<\/b><\/span><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Location and Origin<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">:<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Originates from the <\/span><b>Singar Chouri peak <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">in the<\/span><b> Vindhya mountains <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">(Mhow, Indore, Madhya Pradesh).<\/span><\/li>\n<li><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-151542 alignright\" src=\"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/149-6787b62f9104f.webp\" alt=\"PKC-ERCP\" width=\"450\" height=\"263\" srcset=\"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/149-6787b62f9104f.webp 927w, https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/149-6787b62f9104f-300x175.webp 300w, https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/149-6787b62f9104f-768x449.webp 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 450px) 100vw, 450px\" \/><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It flows through<\/span><b> Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, and <\/span><b>Uttar Pradesh<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> before merging with the<\/span><b> Yamuna River in Etawah district.<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>River Course and Tributaries<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">:<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><b>Total length:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> 960 km.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><b>Tributaries:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Parbati, Kali Sindh, Banas.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Geography<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">:<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Covers<\/span><b> 31,239 sq. km<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> in Rajasthan, with<\/span><b> semi-arid to sub-humid climatic conditions.<\/b><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Topography includes hills, plateaus, ravines, and plains with elevations ranging from<\/span><b> 111 m to 605 m.<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Vegetation<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">:<\/span><b> Dry Deciduous Forest <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">and\u00a0 sparse<\/span><b> xerophytic vegetation<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> dominates the region.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Significance<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">:<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It houses the <\/span><b>National Chambal Sanctuary<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, protecting endangered species like <\/span><b>gharial, red-crowned roof turtle, <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">and<\/span><b> Ganges river dolphin.<\/b><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Supports agriculture and power generation with major dams: <\/span><b>Gandhi Sagar, Rana Pratap Sagar, Jawahar Sagar, and Kota Barrage.<\/b><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Provides water for irrigation and drinking purposes.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p><\/div>\n<span class=\"vc_button\"><b>Additional Reading: <\/b><a href=\"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/current-affairs\/interlinking-of-rivers-in-india\/#:~:text=The%20Ken%2DBetwa%20Project%20is,KBLP%20project%20in%20December%202021.\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><b>River Interlinking Projects<\/b><\/a><\/span>\n<div class=\"vc_table_green\"><\/p>\n<table style=\"width: 99.6375%;\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 111.19%; text-align: center;\" colspan=\"2\"><span style=\"font-size: 18pt;\"><b>Also Read<\/b><\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 49.797%; text-align: center;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/editorial-analysis\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><b>UPSC Daily Editorials<\/b><\/a><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 61.393%; text-align: center;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/daily-current-affairs\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><b>UPSC Daily Current Affairs<\/b><\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 49.797%; text-align: center;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/quiz\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><b>Daily Current Affairs Quiz<\/b><\/a><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 61.393%; text-align: center;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/mains-answer-writing\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><b>Daily Main Answer Writing<\/b><\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 49.797%; text-align: center;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/store.pw.live\/govt-entrance-exams\/upsc-books\/upsc-previous-year-papers?utm_source=SEO&#038;utm_medium=PW+Live&#038;utm_campaign=UPSC+Previous+Year+Papers\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><b>Check Out Previous Years Papers From PW Store<\/b><\/a><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 61.393%; text-align: center;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/upsc-test-series-courses\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><b>UPSC Test Series<\/b><\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 49.797%; text-align: center;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/store.pw.live\/govt-entrance-exams\/upsc-books\/upsc-textbooks?utm_source=SEO&#038;utm_medium=PW+Live&#038;utm_campaign=UPSC+Textbooks\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><b>Check Out UPSC NCERT Textbooks From PW Store<\/b><\/a><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 61.393%; text-align: center;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/store.pw.live\/govt-entrance-exams\/upsc-books\/upsc-modules?utm_source=SEO&#038;utm_medium=PW+Live&#038;utm_campaign=UPSC+Modules\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><b>Check Out UPSC Modules From PW Store<\/b><\/a><b>\u00a0<\/b><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Parbati-Kalisindh-Chambal-Eastern Rajasthan Canal Project will submerge 37 sq km of the Ranthambhore Tiger Reserve, effectively splitting it into two sections, raising ecological concerns.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":11,"featured_media":151546,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rank_math_lock_modified_date":false,"footnotes":""},"tags":[],"paper-wise":[2089],"subject":[4642],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/current-affairs\/151564"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/current-affairs"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/current-affairs"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/11"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=151564"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/current-affairs\/151564\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":151569,"href":"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/current-affairs\/151564\/revisions\/151569"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/151546"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=151564"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=151564"},{"taxonomy":"paper-wise","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/paper-wise?post=151564"},{"taxonomy":"subject","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/subject?post=151564"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}