Ken-Betwa river link project

Ken-Betwa river link project

Why in news :

• On January 18, the Steering Committee of the Ken-Betwa Link Project (KBLP) held its third meeting in New Delhi.
• It was reiterated that KBLP was a “flagship” project of the national government and that it “is critical for the water security and socio-economic development of Bundelkhand region”.

What is Ken – Betwa Link Project :

• In December 2021, the Union Cabinet approved KBLP at a total cost of Rs 44,605 crore.

• In this project, the national and the Madhya Pradesh governments will link the Ken river with the Betwa river.
• The link will be in the form of a canal that will be fed by the New Daudhan Dam on the Ken, to be built within Panna Tiger Reserve.
• The national government has said that the dam will generate 103 MW of hydroelectric power.
• The linking canal will flow through Chhatarpur, Tikamgarh and Jhansi districts, with the project expected to irrigate 6.3 lakh hectares of land every year.

Issues involved :

• Panna is exceptional tiger habitat because of its deep gorges, which will be drowned if the new dam is built.
• There may not even be enough water in the Ken, a non-perennial river, to meet the projected needs of the Betwa.

Syllabus : Prelims + Mains; GS2 – Governance