Ken-Betwa River Linking Project

Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone for the Ken-Betwa River Linking Project (KBLP) on December 25, 2024, marking the 100th birth anniversary of former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee. The project has been criticized for its potential environmental impact, especially on the Panna Tiger Reserve.

About the Project

• The KBLP envisages transferring water from the Ken river to the Betwa river, both tributaries of the Yamuna, to address water scarcity in the Bundelkhand region.
• The project lies in Bundelkhand, which spreads across 13 districts of Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh. 
• Under the project, a 77-metre high and 2.13 km long Daudhan dam and two tunnels (upper level 1.9 km and lower level 1.1 km) will be constructed on the Ken river in the Panna Tiger Reserve
• It is the country's first river-linking initiative, under the National Perspective Plan for interlinking of rivers, which was prepared in 1980. 
• Key Features:
  • Total canal length: The Ken-Betwa Link Canal will be 221 km in length, including a 2-km tunnel.
  • Envisioned to provide:
    • 62 lakh hectares of irrigation (8.11 lakh ha in Madhya Pradesh and 2.51 lakh ha in Uttar Pradesh).
    • Drinking water for 62 lakh people.
    • Generation of 103 MW of hydropower and 27 MW of solar power.
  • Phases: The Ken-Betwa Link Project has two phases.
    • Phase-I will involve building the Daudhan Dam complex and its subsidiary units such as the Low Level Tunnel, High Level Tunnel, Ken-Betwa Link Canal and power houses.
    • Phase-II will involve three components — Lower Orr Dam, Bina Complex Project and Kotha Barrage.
  • States Involved (Regions benefitting): Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh.

• Madhya Pradesh: Panna, Tikamgarh, Chhatarpur, Sagar, Damoh, Datia, Vidisha, Shivpuri, Raisen.
• Uttar Pradesh: Banda, Mahoba, Jhansi, Lalitpur.

• Critical Locations:

• Daudhan Dam: Situated inside the Panna Tiger Reserve, Daudhan dam is 2,031 m long, out of which 1,233 metre will be earthen and the rest 798 m will be of concrete. The height of the dam will be 77 m. The dam will submerge about 9,000 hectares of land, affecting 10 villages.
• Ken Gharial Sanctuary: Downstream, likely affected by changes in water flow.

• Timeline: The project is expected to be completed in eight years.

Challenges/Concerns

• Environmental:
  • Deforestation: Submergence of 98 sq km of the Panna Tiger Reserve, leading to the loss of 2-3 million trees.
  • Wildlife Threats: Tigers, gharials, vultures, and other species are said to be displaced.
  • Ecological Disruption: There are concerns over hydrological balance and rainfall patterns, with studies indicating potential rainfall deficits.
• Social: Approximately 5,228 families in Chhatarpur and 1,400 families in Panna will be displaced due to submergence and land acquisition.
• Economic: Questions over the economic viability raised by the Supreme Court’s Central Empowered Committee (CEC).

Significance

• Water Scarcity Solution: It will address acute water shortages in Bundelkhand, a drought-prone region.
• Agricultural Boost: It will ensure year-round irrigation for a large area of arable land, promoting agricultural productivity.
• Energy Generation: Renewable energy will be provided through hydropower and solar power installations.
• National Water Strategy: Paves the way for future river interlinking projects under India’s National Perspective Plan (1980), which envisions 16 peninsular and 14 Himalayan river links.

What is Inter-linking of rivers?

• River Linking is a project of linking two or more rivers by creating a network of manually created reservoirs and canals, and providing land areas that otherwise does not have river water access and reducing the flow of water to sea using this means.
• It is based on the assumptions that surplus water in some rivers can be diverted to deficit-river by creating a network of canals to interconnect the rivers.
• Uses:
  • For Irrigation purposes
  • flood control in the region
  • for Livelihood needs of locals
  • Building Dams for water conservation
• The initial plan to interlink India’s rivers came in 1858 from a British irrigation engineer, Sir Arthur Thomas Cotton.