Ken-Betwa interlinking Project – UPSC GS1

Ken-Betwa interlinking Project:
  • The Ken-Betwa ILR project aims to transfer surplus water from the Ken River to the Betwa basin through concrete canal to irrigate India’s worst drought-prone Bundelkhand region.
  • It is India’s first inter-State river interlinking project
  • The main feature of the project is a 230-km long canal and a series of barrages and dams connecting the Ken and Betwa rivers The key projects are Makodia and Dhaudhan dams.
  • On completion, the multipurpose project will benefit Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh in terms of meeting irrigation, drinking water and electricity needs of people across 6 districts in the two states.

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Significance of Project
  • Ken-Betwa river interlinking project will irrigate India’s worst drought-affected and drought-prone Bundelkhand region.
  • It will irrigate 3.5 lakh hectares in Madhya Pradesh and 14,000 hectares of Uttar Pradesh, in Bundelkhand.
  • Drinking water supply to about 62 lakh people,
  • 103 MW of hydropower.
  • It will benefit 5 districts of Madhya Pradesh (Chhatarpur, Raisen, Panna,Tikamgarh, and Vidisha) and 3 districts of Uttar Pradesh (Mahoba, Jhansi and Banda) by assured irrigation supply, domestic and industrial water supply and power.
  • On the other hand, about 20000 people in 38 villages will be affected due to the submergence by Daudhan reservoir and Makodia reservoir.
Concerns:
  • About 20000 people in 38 villages will be affected due to the submergence by Daudhan reservoir and Makodia reservoir.
  • Ken-Betwa river interlinking project will be the first river project that will be located within a tiger reserve.
  • It will submerge about 10% of the Panna Tiger Reserve in Madhya Pradesh which has been feted as a model tiger-conservation reserve
  • Economic Viability:
    • There is a significant financial expense associated with project implementation and maintenance. It is increasing as a result of project delays.
  • Technical Viability:
    • In the past few years, the river did not always flow in a steady stream.
    • Another challenge would be that the Ken River flows 60-70 feet lower than the Betwa River. It requires at least 30% of the 103 MW produced power to pump the water up.
Update:
  • The National Board for Wildlife (NBWL) has given its clearance for the Ken-Betwa inter-linking of rivers (ILR) project, paving the way to begin work for linking two rivers.
  • Chief Ministers of Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh signed a memorandum of agreement to implement the Ken Betwa Link Project(KBLP).

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