PM Modi to inaugurate Ken-Betwa River Linking National Project: What is it and concerns surrounding the project?

financialexpress.com:

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the Ken-Betwa River Linking National Project on Wednesday (December 25), coinciding with the 100th birth anniversary of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. The project, hailed as a landmark in India’s water resource management, also faces criticism for its potential environmental impact.

The Ken-Betwa Link Project (KBLP) aims to transfer water from the Ken River to the Betwa River, both tributaries of the Yamuna, via a 221-km canal that includes a 2-km tunnel. Approved in December 2021 at a cost of Rs 44,605 crore, the project is expected to be completed in eight years. It is the first under the National Perspective Plan for interlinking rivers, devised in 1980.

According to the Jal Shakti Ministry, the KBLP is poised to address the chronic water scarcity of the Bundelkhand region, which spans parts of Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh. The project promises to:

– Irrigate 10.62 lakh hectares of land annually (8.11 lakh ha in MP and 2.51 lakh ha in UP).

– Supply drinking water to approximately 62 lakh people.

– Generate 103 MW of hydropower and 27 MW of solar power.

Key infrastructure includes the Daudhan Dam, set to be 2,031 meters long and 77 meters high. While it will enable water storage and transfer, the dam will submerge approximately 9,000 hectares of land, impacting 10 villages.

The Congress has criticised the timing of the project’s inauguration, accusing the government of disregarding environmental consequences. The Panna Tiger Reserve, home to a thriving tiger population, is expected to be affected by the project’s development. Conservationists warn of habitat fragmentation and loss of biodiversity due to the submergence of forested land.

Despite these