Ken-Betwa river-linking project
Context:
Recently, the Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, laid the foundation stone for the Ken-Betwa river-linking project in Madhya Pradesh’s Khajuraho to solve the water problems of the Bundelkhand region.
- It is the first project under the National Perspective Plan (NPP) for interlinking rivers.
Relevance:
GS-02 (Government policies and interventions)
About the Ken-Betwa river-linking project:
- The objective of the project is to link two tributaries of the Yamuna river, namely, Ken River to the Betwa river.
- It is the first project under the National Perspective Plan (NPP).
- The project is estimated to cost around ₹45,000 crore.
- The project plans to irrigate 10.62 lakh ha (8.11 lakh ha in MP and 2.51 lakh ha in UP) and provide drinking water to ~62 lakh people. Meanwhile, it also aims to generate 103 MW of hydropower and 27 MW of solar power.
Ken and Betwa River:
- Ken River: Originates near Ahirgawan in Madhya Pradesh, flows through the Bundelkhand region, and merges with the Yamuna near Chilla village in Uttar Pradesh.
- Betwa River: Begins in the Vindhya Range near Hoshangabad, Madhya Pradesh, flows through Bundelkhand, and joins the Yamuna at Hamirpur, Uttar Pradesh.
- Both rivers pass through the hilly and plateau landscapes of Bundelkhand, a region frequently affected by drought. Their flow is highly seasonal, relying heavily on monsoon rains.