Approval Grated for First Phase of Ken-Betwa Interlinking (Important) [ Current News (Concise) ]

India’s first ever inter-State river interlinking project Crore Ken-Betwa gets approval of the National Board for Wildlife (NBWL). At the meeting of NBWL which was chaired by Anil Madhav Dave Minister of State (MoS) for Environment and Forests. It will be completed at the estimated cost of Rs. 10000. Decision in this regard was taken.

Key Facts

• The Ken-Betwa river interlinking project will be implemented in two phases and currently NBWL has only approved first phase of this project.
• To implement the first phase, first of all forest and environment clearance is required.
• Under this project 230-km long canal and a series of barrages and dams connecting the Ken and Betwa rivers will be constructed.
•  The key projects are:

1. Makodia dam
2. Dhaudhan dam

Benefits of Ken-Betwa river interlinking project

• Ken-Betwa river interlinking project will be very beneficial for worst drought-affected and drought-prone Bundelkhand region of India (by irrigation).

• It will provide water to the 3.5 lakh hectares in Madhya Pradesh and 14,000 hectares of Uttar Pradesh, in Bundelkhand.
• It will provide water supply and power in 5 districts of Madhya Pradesh:

1. Chhatarpur
2. Raisen
3. Panna
4. Tikamgarh
5. Vidisha

• 3 districts of Uttar Pradesh

1. Mahoba
2. Jhansi
3. Banda

• However, along with benefits it also will also affect around 20000 people in 38 villages because of the submergence by Daudhan reservoir and Makodia reservoir.
• This project will be the first river project that will be located in the tiger reserve.
• 10% of the Panna Tiger Reserve in Madhya Pradesh will submerge which has been feted as a model tiger-conservation reserve.