Why River-Linking Project Matters For India: Madhya Pradesh CM Mohan Yadav Lauds Ken-Betwa Project

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav on Sunday announced that the state is set to benefit significantly from the Ken-Betwa River linking project. This groundbreaking initiative will bring substantial advantages to farmers in Raisen and Vidisha districts.

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This project, the world’s first river linking scheme, aims to harness the water resources of the Ken and Betwa rivers, providing much-needed irrigation support to the region’s agricultural sector. The project involves transferring surplus water from one river basin to another, ensuring optimal utilisation of water resources.

The project will ensure a steady water supply, enabling farmers to cultivate their land more effectively and increase crop yields. By providing reliable irrigation, the project is expected to boost agricultural productivity and contribute to the region’s economic growth.

Why River-Linking Project Matters For India

Earlier, the Ministry of Jal Shakti stated that the Ken-Betwa Link Project (KBLP) is crucial for the water security and socio-economic development of the Bundelkhand region. For this project, the Union Cabinet approved KBLP at a total cost of Rs 44,605 crore. In this project in 2021,

The Ken-Betwa Link Project (KBLP) aims to transfer surplus water from the Ken River in Madhya Pradesh (MP) to the Betwa in Uttar Pradesh (UP) to irrigate the drought-prone Bundelkhand region, as per the official release.

On the one hand, there are many water-abundant areas in India and on the other, parts of the Country have been suffering from drought. The government plans to harness the ample amount of water and transport it to the drought-prone areas.

For this purpose, the National River Linking Project (NRLP) envisages the transfer of water from water ‘surplus’ basins to water ‘deficit’ basins where there is drought/scarcity.

Under the National Perspective Plan (NPP), the National Water Development Agency (NWDA) has identified 30 links (16 under the Peninsular Component and 14 under the Himalayan Component) for the preparation of feasibility reports (FRs).

(With ANI Inputs)

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