Centre sets up Ken-Betwa link project authority to drive implementation of Rs.44,605 cr project

New Delhi, Feb 15: With an aim to speed up the Ken-Betwa River interlinking project, the central government as said earlier, has constituted a Ken-Betwa Link Project Authority (KBLPA) and a 20-member national steering committee for interlinking the two rivers.

 

The committee will be chaired by Jal Shakti Ministry secretary and will have on board secretaries of ministries of environment, power and tribal affairs and the Department of Expenditure secretary. Additional chief secretaries of UP and MP governments, besides Central Water Commission chairman and heads of National Tiger Conservation Authority and National Waterway Development Authority and officials from state wildlife departments will be in the panel.

 

 

This project involves transfer of water from the Ken RIVER to the Betwa River through the construction of Daudhan Dam and a canal linking the two rivers, the Lower Orr project, Kotha barrage and Bina complex multipurpose project. The project will carry water from areas that have surpluses to drought prone and water deficit areas, through the interlinking of rivers.

 

 

The project aims to address the perennial water scarcity in the parched regions of Bundelkhand region, spread across the states of MP and UP. This project will provide mutliple benefits to the districts of Panna, Tikamgarh, Chhatarpur, Sagar, Damoh, Datia, Vidisha, Shivpuri and Raisen of Madhya Pradesh and Banda, Mahoba, Jhansi & Lalitpur of Uttar Pradesh.

 

Upon completion, the project is expected to provide an annual irrigation of 10.62 lakh ha, drinking water supply to an estimated population of about 62 lakhs and also generate 103 MW of hydropower and 27 MW solar power. The project is proposed to be implemented in 8 years by leveraging state of the art technology.

 

 

The total cost of Ken-Betwa link project is estimated at Rs.44,605 crore. The Union Cabinet has already approved central funding of Rs.39,317 crore for the project, through a grant of Rs.36,290 crore and loan of Rs.3,027 crore.

 

Earlier this month, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced during her budget speech that the Centre has earmarked Rs 1,400 crore in FY 2022-23 for the implementation of the Ken-Betwa Linking Project.

 

“The implementation of the Ken-Betwa Link Project at an estimated cost of Rs 44,605 crore will be taken up. This is aimed at providing irrigation benefits to 9.0 lakh hectare of land, drinking water supply to 62 lakh people, 103 MW of hydro [power], 27 MW of solar power. Allocations of Rs 4,300 crore in the RE 2021-22 and Rs 1,400 crore in 2022-23 have been made for this project,” Sitharaman said during her Budget speech in Lok Sabha.