Ken-Betwa River Link Project

Ken-Betwa River Link Project UPSC

Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone of the Ken- Betwa River Linking National Project on December 25, 2024, on the 100th birth anniversary of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, in Khajuraho, Madhya Pradesh.

What is the Ken-Betwa Link Project (KBLP)?

The Ken-Betwa Link Project (KBLP) is India’s first river-linking initiative under the National River Interlinking Policy, designed to transfer water from the Ken River to the Betwa River, both tributaries of the Yamuna. 

It aims to alleviate drought and migration issues in the Bundelkhand region of Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh. 

The Ken-Betwa Link Canal will be 221 km in length, including a 2-km tunnel. It is the largest irrigation project in the country, employing an underground pressurized pipe irrigation system. 

The KBLP, part of the National Perspective Plan for interlinking rivers initiated in 1980, is the first of 16 projects under the Peninsular Rivers Component, while 14 additional links are proposed under the Himalayan Rivers Development Plan. 

The project is expected to provide irrigation to 10.62 lakh hectares annually (8.11 lakh hectares in Madhya Pradesh and 2.51 lakh hectares in Uttar Pradesh), supply drinking water to 62 lakh people, and generate 103 MW of hydropower and 27 MW of solar power. 

The Ken-Betwa Link Project has two phases, Phase I will focus on constructing the Daudhan Dam complex and its subsidiary components, including the Low Level Tunnel, High Level Tunnel, Ken-Betwa Link Canal, and powerhouses. Phase II will involve the development of the Lower Orr Dam, Bina Complex Project, and Kotha Barrage. 

According to the Jal Shakti Ministry, the project is slated for completion within 8 years.

Ken-Betwa River Link Project Map

Daudhan Dam

1. On December 25, 2024, PM Modi laid the foundation stone for the Daudhan Dam. 
2. The Ken-Betwa River Link Project involves constructing a 77-meter-high and 2.13 kilometres long (1,233 metre will be earthen and the rest 798 m will be of concrete) Daudhan Dam on the Ken River within the Panna Tiger Reserve.
3. The dam will store 2,853 million cubic metres of water.
4. The surplus Ken water will be transferred to the Betwa river through the 221-km-long link canal from Daudhan dam, providing irrigation and drinking water facilities in both the states.
5. The Daudhan dam will provide drinking water to wild animals in the Panna Tiger Reserve throughout the year, improve the forest ecosystem and bring relief to UP's Banda district from the flood menace.
6. Infrastructure company NCC Ltd has been awarded the contract for the Daudhan Dam.

Origin and Conceptualization of the Project

1. The national river-linking initiative was first envisioned in 2002 by former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. 
2. The Ken-Betwa Link Project (KBLP) gained significant momentum in August 2005 with the signing of a tripartite memorandum of understanding among the Centre and the states of Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh for preparing a detailed project report (DPR).
3. In 2008, the project was declared a National Project by Centre and later included in the Prime Minister’s package for the development of the drought-prone Bundelkhand region. 
4. In April 2009, it was decided that the detailed project report (DPR) would be prepared in two phases. 
5. In 2018, a comprehensive DPR, including Phase-I, II and additional area proposed by Madhya Pradesh, was prepared. It was sent to Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and the Central Water Commission in October 2018.
6. On March 22, 2021, a memorandum of agreement was signed among the Ministry of Jal Shakti and the governments of Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh to implement the Ken-Betwa Link Project.
7. In December 2021, the Union Cabinet approved Rs 44,605 crore (at 2020-21 prices) for the project.

Benefits of the Ken-Betwa River Link Project

The Ken-Betwa River Link Project is situated in the Bundelkhand region, which spans 13 districts across Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh. According to the Ministry of Jal Shakti, the project promises significant benefits to this water-scarce area, particularly in the districts of Panna, Tikamgarh, Chhatarpur, Sagar, Damoh, Datia, Vidisha, Shivpuri, and Raisen in Madhya Pradesh, and Banda, Mahoba, Jhansi, and Lalitpur in Uttar Pradesh. 

It will irrigate 10.62 lakh hectares of land annually, with 8.11 lakh hectares in Madhya Pradesh and 2.51 lakh hectares in Uttar Pradesh, while supplying drinking water to around 62 lakh people—41 lakh in Madhya Pradesh and 21 lakh in Uttar Pradesh. Additionally, the project will generate 103 MW of hydropower and 27 MW of solar energy.

The initiative also includes the restoration of 42 Chandela-era heritage ponds, which will enhance groundwater levels and help store rainwater in districts like Chhatarpur, Tikamgarh, and Niwari. 

Nearly 7.18 lakh agricultural families across 2,000 villages stand to benefit, with the project impacting around seven lakh farmers and stabilizing existing irrigation facilities. Farmers will gain sufficient water for both irrigation and drinking purposes, along with access for industrial uses.

Beyond its agricultural and hydrological impact, the project is expected to drive economic and social development in the region, promoting tourism and creating new employment opportunities. 

Groundwater levels in Bundelkhand, a region historically plagued by drought, will see improvement. 

The Daudhan reservoir will serve multiple purposes, including providing year-round drinking water for wildlife in the Panna Tiger Reserve, enhancing the forest ecosystem, and alleviating the flood risk for Uttar Pradesh’s Banda district.

Environmental and Social Impacts of Ken-Betwa River Link Project

The Ken-Betwa River Linking Project has drawn widespread criticism due to its significant environmental and social consequences. Central to the controversy is the large-scale deforestation within the Panna National Park and Tiger Reserve. This includes the planned submergence of nearly 98 square kilometers of the park and the felling of over two to three million trees, which would negatively impact the area’s biodiversity and undo successful tiger reintroduction efforts after their local extinction in 2009. Despite these concerns, the Union Environment Ministry has approved the construction of the Daudhan Dam at the park's core—an unprecedented move for a project of this scale within a national park or tiger reserve.

Beyond the park, the dam is expected to harm the Ken Gharial Sanctuary, affecting gharial populations and vulture nesting sites. 

Research by IIT-Bombay has highlighted broader ecological impacts, suggesting that moving large amounts of water for such projects could disrupt land-atmosphere interactions and reduce mean September rainfall by up to 12 percent. 

The Supreme Court’s Central Empowered Committee (CEC) has also questioned the project's wildlife clearance and economic feasibility, advocating for alternative irrigation methods in the upper Ken basin before resorting to such large-scale interventions.

The construction of Daudhan Dam will lead to the displacement of over 6,600 families from Chhatarpur (5,228 families) and Panna (1,400 families) districts, with many protesting inadequate compensation and insufficient local benefits. The Daudhan Dam, planned to be 2,031 meters long and 77 meters high, will submerge about 9,000 hectares of land and affect 10 villages. The project would submerge over 10 per cent of the core area of the tiger reserve.

Over 23 lakh trees are slated to be felled, with significant impacts on rainfall patterns, increased flood risks, and erosion after the monsoon. The Forest Advisory Committee had recommended against approving the project, emphasizing its potentially irreversible environmental damage.