Environmentalists and policy experts have raised concerns about the Ken-Betwa River Letwinking project, accusing the government of proceeding with him due to “political motivations.” They argue that the project should never have been approved first.
The project, which was approved by the Union Cabinet in December 2021 at a cost of RS 44,605 million rupees and launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in December 2024, aims to connect the Ken and Betwa rivers, Tax of the Yamuna.
The Government states that the project will water 10.62 LAKH hectares of land (8.11 Lakh hectares in Madhya Pradesh and 2.51 Lakh hectares in Uttar Pradesh), will provide drinking water to around 62 LAKH of people and generate 103 megawatts of hydroavos and 27 megawatts of solar energy of solar energy.
Estimates suggest that the project will displace 6,600 families and result in the reduction of around 45 Tree Lakh.
The water expert Himanshu Thakkar, while talking in a public discussion about “Evaluation of the Interlinking River project,” criticized the project and said that, although it is presented as a solution to the Bundelkhand water crisis, the “detailed report of the detailed report of the Project says that the main objective of this project is to provide water to the upper region of Betwa, which is not part of Bundelkhand. ”
“Essentially, this project is facilitating the export of Bundelkhand water,” he added.
Thakkar, the coordinator of the South Asia Network on dams, rivers and people (Sandrp), stressed that the empowered central committee (CEC) forced to the Supreme Court had delivered a critical report on the project, but was ignored.
He also referred to the recommendation of the Forest Advisory Committee (FAC) in May 2017, which declared that “ideally, this project should not receive an authorization.” Thakkar said the FAC had never written such a strong objection.
Thakkar also recalled an incident of 2016 when the then Minister of Water Resources, Uma Bharti, had “threatened to go to a strike” if the project did not receive authorization.
In addition, Shashi Shekhar, former secretary of the Ministry of Water Resources, argued that the hydrology of the region does not justify a project of said scale.
“They have justified it by manipulating data. If you consider the correct data, the reality of the soil and the ecological factors, this project should not have happened,” he told PTI.
Shekhar also questioned the government statement that the project would water 10.62 Lakh hectares, calling it “leaving the air” and inconsistent with the reality of the soil. He also criticized the Supreme Court for not acting despite CEC objections and known ecological concerns.
When asked if the Jal Shakti Ministry had explored alternative solutions for Bundelkhand’s water crisis, Shekhar replied: “Until I know, the alternatives were never discussed.”
Jasbir Singh Chouhan, former main conservative of forests in Madhya Pradesh, also said that experts had warned against the project, but the government proceeded anyway.
One of the most controversial aspects of the project is the construction of a dam on the Ken River within the Panna National Park and the Tigres Reserve, which faced the local termination of Tigres in 2009, but since then it has seen a successful program of reintroduction of Tigers
“With regard to wildlife, it will be a great loss for a place that revived its tiger number after completely losing the great cat,” Chouhan told PTI.
According to the National Center Tiger conservation Report of the authority “State of Tigres – 2022”, the Tiger Panna Reserve It is connected to the Ranipur Tigre Reserve in Uttar Pradesh through the divisions of the North Panna and Satna forest. It is also linked to the wildlife sanctuaries of Bandhavgarh and Northadehi to the south, providing an extensive habitat tiger.
“The current estimated population of Tigers in this block is 79 individuals who occupy an area of 2,840 square kilometers. This represents a significant increase in the population of Tigers and the expansion of the range,” the report said.
“A substantial portion of the Biodiverse Panna Tiger reserve is currently under the threat of submersion due to the proposed Ken-Betwa reticulation project, which raises a significant risk for conservation efforts in the area,” the report added.
Chouhan also warned that at least three to four tigers live in the area that would be submerged by the dam, which resulted in a significant loss of habitat. He also mentioned that around one million trees are expected to be carved only in the central area of the tiger. In addition, the Tigre reserve is home to a critical vulture population.
An expert body under the Permanent Committee of the National Wildlife Board had also requested “an independent hydrological study of the Ken River” and declared that “no development project should destroy the ecology of the remaining fragile ecosystems and an important habitat in the country.”
