Ken-Betwa River linking project is both economically and ecologically unviable. Comment.
The Ken-Betwa Link Project (KBLP) is the River interlinking project that aims to transfer surplus water from the Ken river in MP to Betwa in UP to irrigate the drought-prone Bundelkhand region. The region spread across the districts of two states mainly Jhansi, Banda, Lalitpur and Mahoba districts of UP and Tikamgarh, Panna and Chhatarpur districts of MP. The project involves building a 77-metre tall and a 2-km wide Dhaudhan dam and a 230-km canal.
The project lies in Bundelkhand, a drought-prone region, which spreads across 13 districts of Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh. This project has the below mentioned benefits:-
- According to the Jal Shakti Ministry, the project will be of immense benefit to this water-starved region.
- Further, it will pave the way for more interlinking of river projects to ensure that scarcity of water does not become an inhibitor for development in the country.
- According to the Jal Shakti Ministry, the project is expected to provide annual irrigation of 10.62 lakh hectares, supply drinking water to about 62 lakh people, and generate 103 MW of hydropower and 27 MW of solar power.
However, despites its potential various challenges exist in its implementation as the project is also having various negative impacts.
- Ecological disruption: Nearly 4000 hectares of forest land in the core tiger habitat of Panna Tiger Reserve will get submerged.
- Impacts wildlife conservation: It will impact the conservation of tigers, vultures and also impacts the breeding pattern of gharials and other aquatic life.
- Changing rainfall pattern: Due to clearance of 6000 ha of forest land, it may impact the local rainfall pattern further leading to impacts on the wildlife habitat.
- Cost-benefit analysis: Ken being lying at low level compared to Betwa, it requires electricity to pump the water which increases the operation cost.
- Rehabilitation: Displacements during Narmada dam construction and China’s efforts to shift water from south to north proved to be a historical mistake.
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