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Shri Priyaranjan Dasmunsi, Minister of Water Resources has informed that the Ken-Betwa link project envisages diversion of surplus waters of Ken basin to water deficit Betwa basin through construction of Dandhan dam on Ken river and 231 km long link canal. This will facilitate construction of four additional medium irrigation projects in Upper Betwa basin where level of irrigation is very low. Irrigation benefits will also accrue in the enroute command and by way of additional irrigation/stabilization in the downstream of Daudhan dam to a large area. By this project the irrigation and water supply is proposed in Chhatarpur, Tikamgarh, Panna, Raisen and Vidisha districts of Madhya Pradesh and Hamirpur, Banda and Jhansi districts of Uttar Pradesh. Shri Dasmunsi stated that the observations of U.P. on some of the issues will definitely be addressed at the DPR stage and while through the consensus building efforts of the State Governments and the Union Government, in principle agreement has been arrived between the party States for taking the Ken-Betwa link project further and now the time has come for taking the next important step to prepare the Detailed Project Report for this link whose feasibility has already been established. The tripartite MOU on Ken-Betwa link was signed by Shri Mulayam Singh Yadav, Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, Shri Babu Lal Gaur, Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh & Shri Priyaranjan Dasmunsi, Minister of Water Resources in the presence of Dr. Manmohan Singh, Prime Minister. Shri Jai Prakash Narayan Yadav, Minister of State of Water Resources and the Senior officials from the Ministry of Water Resourcs, Government of Uttar Pradesh and Government of Madhya Pradesh were also present at the occasion.
The Ministry of Water Resources prepared a National Perspective Plan (NPP) in 1980 for Water Resources Development in the country. Based on numerous water balance studies, topo sheet studies of reservoir sites and link alignments etc, the NWDA has identified in all 30 links, 16 under Peninsular component and 14 under Himalayan component for preparation of feasibility reports in line with the proposals of NPP. The Interlinking of rivers programme has obtained momentum in the recent past as efforts have been made for a comprehensive assessment of this important infrastructure development programme with a focus on the Southern Rivers as envisaged in the National Common Minimum Programme of the UPA Government. After the comprehensive assessment it has been decided to take the ILR programme further starting with Peninsular Component of NPP. The NWDA has so far completed feasibility reports for fourteen links under the Peninsular Component. These link projects are ready for consensus building with the concerned States for starting the next step of preparation of detailed project reports. Government of India has been making continuous efforts with the State Governments in building consensus on ILR link proposals and have prioritized the link proposals to obtain the consent of basin States to take up the Detailed Project Reports of prioritized link. Five link projects have already been taken up for Consensus building and Ken-Betwa link proposal benefiting States of UP & MP was also prioritized.
The State Government of Uttar Pradesh had certain reservations regarding the feasibility report of Ken-Betwa Link Project as prepared by NWDA. It was felt that these concerns of the State Government can be addressed at the DPR stage. Accordingly, efforts were made which resulted in the Govt. of MP and Govt. of UP conveying their consent for signing of MOU for preparation of Detailed Project Report for Ken-Betwa Link Project. After the completion of the Detailed Project Report, further steps like funding agreements and the execution of the link project would follow.
As per the preliminary studies carried out by NWDA, the Ken - Betwa Link proposal will benefit both the States in their districts namely Chhatarpur, Tikamgarh, Panna, Raisen and Vidisha in MP and Hamirpur, Jhansi and Banda in UP by way of increased and stabilized irrigation, consequent increase in the production of food and commercial crops, improved availability of drinking water, flood and drought mitigation and other increased economic activities like Pisciculture, afforestation, tourism, generation of hydro-power and ecological improvement programmes.
RKJ/AM
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