(News) Ken-Betwa River Interlinking Project Dead in Bundelkhand
Ken-Betwa River Interlinking Project Dead in Bundelkhand
The much-hyped but controversial Ken-Betwa river interlinking project no longer generates interest in the drought-prone Bundelkhand. It has been a good long decade since the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) sold it as its pet project that would change the face of India. Now, no one even talks about it.
The first river interlinking project in the country, for which a memorandum of understanding was signed, proposed inter-linking of Ken and Betwa rivers by diversion of water from the Ken basin to the Betwa basin through a 231.45-km concrete-lined canal.
“The people of the region did not even understand why inter-linking was needed in the first place because Ken does not have excess water,” Krishna Gandhi of Abhiruchi, a non-governmental organisation related to environmental issues, told The Hindu.
An agreement on water sharing for the region was signed between the two States way back in 1972. Had the two States implemented it efficiently, the problem of water shortage could have been addressed, he said.
The Ken-Betwa Link Project envisages a 73.80 m high Daudhan dam across the Ken, about 2.5 km upstream of existing Gangau Weir on the border of Chhattarpur-Panna districts in Madhya Pradesh. Two powerhouses, one at the foot of the dam and other at the end of a 2-km tunnel, are also proposed to generate power.
The project was expected to irrigate 4.97 lakh hectares in the Chhattarpur, Tikamgarh, Panna, Raisen and Vidisha districts of Madhya Pradesh and Hamirpur and Jhansi districts of Uttar Pradesh.
While a memorandum of understanding was signed among the Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Central governments in 2005, the project was subsequently put on the backburner by the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government following resistance from various quarters.
The Ministry of Environment and Forests had made it clear that no environmental clearance would be granted to the project as it would submerge a large area of the Panna Tiger Reserve.
Describing it as a “stupid, silly” solution to the problem, Professor Gandhi said big dams never helped people. They only promoted corruption and resulted in displacement of people, he said while suggesting investing in small check dams and water harvesting projects in the entire Bundelkhand region that would also help in ground water recharging.
Courtesy: thehindu.com
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Ken-Betwa River Project
Many experts have studied the project in details and have given approval. It has not been just like that approved.
How can anyone go by qualitative statements like,
"...because Ken does not have excess water,"
"....it would submerge a large area of the Panna Tiger Reserve."
"....big dams never helped people. They only promoted corruption and resulted in displacement of people,"
We can make such negative statements on anything and everything.
The real numbers are :
1. There is a surplus yield of 1020 M cu m of the Ken river na it is being transfered to the Betwa river.
2. Out of a 533 square kilometre of Panna National Park, 45.96 square kilometre of reserve forest will be submerged at Full Reservoir Level.
3. As for the contention, big dams have never helped, can you dare to ask the State Govts to keep the shutters of all existing dams open for just few months during the rainy season ?
4. time and again people talk about ground water recharge and small check dams. When the water is flowing from hills and forests to the river, you need to divert it by some means and flood it in some land area. After the ground water is recharged, you need to pump it to irrigate the land. Precisely the dams and canals are doing the same, without going into the ground ! The water falling in the agricultural land is already stored by many lakes / dykes already available.
5. Regarding the concept of smaller dams instead of large dams, it should be understood that, there are hundreds of such check dams available wherever the terrain could permit irrigation. But there are large quantities of river flows in certain regions where the land for irrigation is not available. In such situations, we need to build large multi purpose dams to store, divert, generate power, ameliorate flood, etc. Please do not think the government scientists are all idiots and only the people outside the govt are intelligent !
ken betwa link
NATURE POURS WATER FOR A VERY SHORT TIME IN RAINY SEASON.IT IS UP TO YOU HOW IT CAN BE MANAGED.STORE IT AND USE IT ECONOMICALLY FOR THE NON RAINY SEASON.IF STILL YOU HAVE EXTRA WATER DIVERT IT TO THERE WHERE IT IS NEEDED.IN CASE OF DROUGHT GIVE IT TO NEEDY FROM YOUR SHARE ALSO.THIS IS A VERY NATURAL LOGIC.THOSE WHO HAVE TO DO NOTHING THEY CAN ONLY SPREAD NEGATIVITY.