NEW DELHI: Staying the course to give the BJP a poll booster ahead of the assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh, the Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved the interlinking of Ken and Betwa rivers.
The project aims to address the issue of perennial water scarcity in the Bun delkhand region of UP and MP. The Cabinet also cleared the extension of the Pradhan Mantri Awaas (Grameen) Yojana till 2024.
Briefing the media on the decisions, I&B Minister Anurag Thakur said the central support to the project will be to the tune of Rs 39,317 crore — Rs 36,290 crore as grant as a loan of Rs 3,027 crore — out of the total cost of Rs 44,605 crore.
Water from Ken will be transferred to Betwa river through Daudhan Dam, which will be built as part of the project. Besides, a canal will also link the two rivers.
“The project will provide an annual irrigation of 10.62 lakh hectare, drinking water supply to a population of about 62 lakh and also generate 103 MW hydropower and 27 MW solar power. The project is proposed to be implemented in eight years,” said Thakur.
The project will pave the way for more interlinking of river projects in India and “showcase to the world our ingenuity and vision, a statement said.
The Madhya Pradesh districts of Panna, Tikamgarh, Chhatarpur, Sagar, Damoh, Datia, Vidisha, Shivpuri and Raisen will benefit from the project, while the beneficiary districts in UP will be Banda, Mahoba, Jhansi and Lalitpur.
The project will ensure an annual irrigation of over 10.62 lakh hectares of land, drinking water supply to a population of about 62 lakh and also generate 103 MW of hydropower and 27 MW of solar power.
It is expected to be implemented in eight years with state-of-the-art technology.
"The project will be of immense benefit to the water-starved Bundelkhand region, spread across the states of Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh," an official statement said.
"The project also comprehensively provides for environment management and safeguards. For this purpose, a comprehensive landscape management plan is under finalisation by the Wildlife Institute of India," the statement said.
(With PTI Inputs)