Recently, The Union Cabinet approved the funding and implementation of the Ken-Betwa river interlinking project. The Project is proposed to be completed in eight years.
Ken-Betwa link Project
State:- M.P and U.P
District :-
- M.P :- Patna, Tikamgarh, Chhatarpur, Sagar, Damoh, Datia, Vidisha, Shivpuri and Raisen.
- U.P:- Banda, Mahoba, Jhansi and Lalitpur.
Total Cost for the Project:- 44,605 crore
- The Centre would fund 39,317 crore for the project, with 36,290 crore as a grant and 3,027 crore as loan.
- The Project involves transferring of water from the Ken river to the Betwa River through the construction of Daudhan dam.
- Ken river:-
- Origin:- Barner range, Katni district(M.P)
- State:- M.P and U.P
- Tributary of Yamuna River.
- Betwa River:-
- Origin:- Raisen, M.p
- State:- M.P and U.P
- Tributary of Yamuna River.
Advantage
- The project is slated to irrigate 10.62 lakh hectares annually, provide drinking water supply to 62 lakh people and generate 103 MW of hydropower and 27 MW of Solar power.
- The Project will be of immense benefit to the water starved Bundelkhand region, spread across Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh.
- The Project is expected to boost socio-economic prosperity in the backward Bundelkhand region on account of increased agriculture activities and employment generation.
Disadvantage
- The project will partly submerge the Panna Tiger Reserve in Madhya Pradesh and affect the habitat of vultures and Jackals.
- The Panna Tiger Reserve:-
- Location:- Panna, M.P
- Established:- 1981
- Animal found:- tiger, leopard, chital, chinkara, nilgai, sambhar and sloth bear.
- Panna National Park was declared as one of the Tiger reserves of India in 1994/95.
