Perspective: Linking Rivers

Context: In this episode of the Perspective Prog. based on Linking Rivers. Union Cabinet has recently approved the funding and implementation of Ken-Betwa inter-linking of rivers project. This project which involves transfer of water from the Ken to the Betwa River will be of immense benefit to the water starved Bundelkhand region, spread across the states of MP and UP.

• It will provide water for irrigation of 10.62 lakh ha annually, drinking water supply to a population of about 62 lakhs and also generate 103 MW of hydropower and 27 MW solar power.
• The interlinking of rivers (ILR) programme is a major endeavour to create additional storage facilities and transfer water from water-surplus regions to more drought-prone areas.

About Ken Betwa Link Project

• The Ken-Betwa Link Project lies in Bundelkhand, a drought-prone region, which spreads across 13 districts of Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh.
• It is the first project under the National Perspective Plan for interlinking of rivers. 
• Under this project, water from the Ken river will be transferred to the Betwa river. 
• Both these rivers are tributaries of river Yamuna.

Development: Under Phase-I, one of the components — Daudhan dam complex and its appurtenances like Low Level Tunnel, High Level Tunnel, Ken-Betwa link canal and Power houses — will be completed.

• While in the Phase-II, three components — Lower Orr dam, Bina complex project and Kotha barrage — will be constructed.

Required Clearances: Generally, 4-5 types of clearances are required for the interlinking of river projects. These are: 

• Techno-economic (given by the Central Water Commission); 
• Forest Clearance and Environmental clearance (Ministry of Environment & Forests); 
• Resettlement and Rehabilitation (R&R) Plan of Tribal Population (Ministry of Tribal Affairs) and 
• Wildlife clearance (Central Empowered Committee).

Affect the Panna tiger reserve: Out of the 6,017 ha of forest area coming under submergence of Daudhan dam of Ken Betwa Link Project, 4,206 ha of area lies within the core tiger habitat of Panna Tiger Reserve.

Utility of the Project

• Irrigation: The project is slated to irrigate 10.62 lakh hectares annually, provide drinking water supply to 62 lakh people and generate 103 MW of hydropower and 27 MW of solar power.
• Water supply: The project will be of immense benefit to the water-starved Bundelkhand region, spread across Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh.
• Agricultural boost: The project is expected to boost socio-economic prosperity in the backward Bundelkhand region on account of increased agricultural activities and employment generation.
• Addressing Rural Distress: It would also help in arresting distress migration from this region.

Key Benefits

• The project is expected to provide annual irrigation of 10.62 lakh hectares, drinking water supply to about 62 lakh people and also generate 103 MW of hydropower.
• The project will be of immense benefit to the water-starved region of Bundelkhand, especially in the districts of Panna, Tikamgarh, Chhatarpur, Sagar, Damoh, Datia, Vidisha, Shivpuri and Raisen of Madhya Pradesh and Banda, Mahoba, Jhansi and Lalitpur of Uttar Pradesh.
• It will pave the way for more interlinking of river projects to ensure that scarcity of water does not become an inhibitor for development in the country.

Key Hurdles

• Submergence of critical wildlife habitat: The project will partly submerge the Panna Tiger Reserve in Madhya Pradesh and affect the habitat of vultures and jackals.
• Clearance: After years of protests, it was finally cleared by the apex wildlife regulator, the National Board for Wildlife, in 2016.
• Water sharing disputes: Then UP and MP could not agree on how water would be shared, particularly in the non-monsoonal months.

Additional Information
National Perspective Plan (NNP)

• For water resources development it envisaging inter basin water transfer in the country.
• The NPP comprised two components: (i) Himalayan Rivers Development; and  (ii) Peninsular Rivers Development. 
• Based on the NPP, the National Water Development Agency (NWDA) identified 30 river links—16 under Peninsular component and 14 under Himalayan Component. 
• Later, the river linking idea was revived under the then Atal Bihari Vajpayee Government. Ken Betwa Link Project is one of the 16 river linking projects under the Peninsular component.