×

UPSC Courses

DNA banner

DAILY NEWS ANALYSIS

  • 18 April, 2021

  • 2 Min Read

Ken-betwa River Linking Project

Ken-betwa River Linking Project

The Project-

  • The Ken-Betwa project is part of the national river linking project which proposes to connect 14 Himalayan and 16 peninsular rivers with 30 canals and 3,000 reservoirs in order to irrigate 87 million hectares of land.
  • It has the status of a national project, as the Centre will contribute 90% of the cost.
  • It is India’s first river linking project and will take eight years to complete.

Benefits

  • The project, the government says, will enhance the irrigation potential of the water-starved Bundelkhand region in U.P. and M.P.,
  • facilitate groundwater recharge and
  • reduce the occurrence of floods.
  • According to the Memorandum of Agreement signed, the to-be-built Daudhan dam is expected to irrigate nearly 6,00,000 hectares in four districts in M.P. and 2,51,000 hectares in four districts in U.P. and provide drinking water supply to 41 lakh people in M.P. and 21 lakh in U.P.

Concerns

  • The project was on the drawing board for years mainly due to environmental concerns.
  • Of the 12,500 hectares of land to get submerged by the project, more than 9,000 ha are categorised as forest land.
  • The submergence area includes a critically important section of the Panna Tiger Reserve.
  • Around 40% of the area of the tiger reserve will be irretrievably damaged” if the project is implemented.
  • Also, the project may destroy about 7.2 lakh trees.
  • South Asia Network on Dams, River and People convener Himanshu Thakkar fears that this will affect rainfall in the already parched region.
  • Ken flows 60-70 feet lower than the Betwa and at least 30% of the 103 MW power generated will be used for pumping the water up.
  • The Union Ministry and the National Water Development Agency, which is entrusted with the project, have some issues to sort out. These include getting

Source: TH


India–Azerbaijan

A year after tensions arising from Operation Sindoor, India and Azerbaijan have taken steps to restore and normalise bilateral relations. The 6th round of Foreign Office Consultations, held in Baku, marked the first such engagement since 2022, signaling renewed diplomatic momentum. Recent Diplomatic Engagement During the consultations, bo

India–Australia Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreem

The India–Australia Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement has completed four years since its signing. Both countries now aim to build on this progress through strengthened collaboration and ambitious targets, including reaching AUD 100 billion in bilateral trade by 2030. What is the India–Australia Economic Cooperation and Tra

ADR Report on Political Funding

A recent report by the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) analyses donations of ?20,000 or more declared to the Election Commission of India (ECI) by national political parties for FY 2024–25, highlighting transparency and accountability in political financing. Key Findings Massive Funding Surge Total donations to nationa

Maritime Chokepoints

Maritime chokepoints are narrow channels along global shipping routes where maritime traffic is concentrated. These points are geopolitically and economically critical, as they handle a large proportion of global trade, especially energy shipments. Current Relevance Over two-thirds of seaborne energy trade passes through a handful o

US-Israel-Iran War

Following the launch of Operation Epic Fury (U.S.) and Operation Roaring Lion (Israel), the geopolitical landscape has shifted fundamentally with the confirmed death of Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.Iran retaliated through Operation True Promise 4, launching missile attacks against Israel and nearby Gulf states. The escala

DNA

05 Apr,2026

Toppers

Search By Date

Newsletter Subscription
SMS Alerts

Important Links

UPSC GS Mains Crash Course - RAW