The governments of Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh along with the Jal Shakti ministry on Monday signed an agreement to implement the Ken-Betwa river linking project despite criticism from environmentalists. The project involves transferring surplus water from the Ken river in Madhya Pradesh to the Betwa in Uttar Pradesh. This is the first major project under the National River Linking Project.
The central government said the river-linking project will benefit areas suffering from water scarcity. It added that the project will provide annual irrigation to 10.62 lakh hectares of land in both the states and drinking water supply to about 62 lakh people.
The diversion of water from Ken basin to Betwa will take place through a dam proposed to be built at Daudhan in Madhya Pradesh’s Chhatarpur district, Hindustan Times reported, citing a project report. The reservoir of the dam will submerge 6,017 hectares of land of the Ken Ghariyal Sanctuary and the Panna Tiger Reserve.
Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Adityanath and his Madhya Pradesh counterpart Shivraj Singh Chouhan signed the agreement. Prime Minister Narendra Modi also joined the virtual meeting.
Environmental experts have expressed concern about the impact of the project. South Asia Network on Dams, River and People convener Himanshu Thakkar told Hindustan Times that the project will destroy the Panna Tiger Reserve, which houses more than 50 tigers and endangered vultures.
Citing a report of the Forest Advisory Committee, Thakkar said that approximately 46 lakh trees will be cut for the project. “This will lead to poor rainfall in an already parched Bundelkhand,” he was quoted as saying by Hindustan Times.
Thakkar called the project a “curse” for water conservation and said that it was “very unfortunate” that the government decided to sign the agreement on World Water Day.
Earlier in the day, Congress leader and former environment minister Jairam Ramesh had also issued a warning about the impact of the project. “The CMs [chief ministers] of UP and MP will sign a pact today to link the Ken and Betwa rivers,” he tweeted. “This will all but destroy the Panna Tiger Reserve in MP, a success story in translocation and revival. I had suggested alternatives 10 years ago but alas.”
In November, an expert committee of the Union environment ministry had postponed clearance for the Lower Orr Dam, part of the river interlinking project. The panel had then asked for fresh data to decide whether a new public hearing was expected for the project. This dam project involves constructing a 45-metre high and 2,218-metre long structure over the Orr river, located close to Didauni village in Madhya Pradesh. The aim of the initiative is cultivation in 90,000 hectares of area.
Also read:Farmers don’t want the Ken-Betwa river linking project – so why is the government pushing it?
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