Delhi okays Ken-Betwa river-linking project

The “last” hurdle for India's ambitious Ken-Betwa river-linking project has been cleared with the wildlife board giving its green signal, the government announced yesterday.

Bangladesh has voiced concern over the impact of the river-linking project in eastern India and on the flow of water in the common rivers concerned to the lower riparian country. India has in the past repeatedly assured Bangladesh that it would not do anything that would harm the lower riparian country.

Indian Water Resources Minister Uma Bharti said in Delhi that her ministry has received wildlife clearance for the multi-crore rupee project, first such initiative aimed at linking inter-state rivers in the country. However, it awaits forest and environment approvals.

“The NITI Aayog [earlier Planning Commission] had earlier recommended funding pattern for the project as per Accelerated Irrigation Benefit Programme. I've requested the Aayog that the funding pattern has to be 90:10 [centre: state sharing pattern] or 100 percent [centrally-funded].

“The moment the funding pattern is decided, the project will be launched,” she said.

The minister did not specify by when the funding pattern would be finalised for the river-linking project.

The Ken-Betwa inter-linking project is the first of the several other projects of linking major rivers across India.

The project is expected to irrigate 6.35 lakh hectares of land at an estimated cost of Rs 9,393 crore in drought-prone Bundelkhand region covering parts of Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh states.