Ken-Betwa River Interlinking Project

• Context (TH): The Ken-Betwa project has not received the final environmental nod.

About the Project

• It was the first project under the National Perspective Plan to interlink rivers.
• It will transfer water from the Ken River (Madhya Pradesh) to the Betwa River (Uttar Pradesh).
• It will have Phase I (Daudhan dam) & Phase II ( Lower Orr dam, Bina complex and Kotha barrage).
• It will generate hydroelectricity along with water supply.
• Significant areas of the Panna tiger reserve (Ken River passes through it) of Madhya Pradesh will be impacted by the project.

Ken and Betwa are tributaries of the Yamuna River.

Recent Issue

• Lower Orr Dam was objected to by the Expert Appraisal Committee (EAC), which said that the state had not taken formal clearance from the Environment Ministry for the project.
• EAC also suggested action against the project proponent- “National Water Development Agency (NWDA), a Jal Shakti Ministry body”.
• The Supreme Court recently put all Ministry orders on hold as part of the NGO Vanshakti case on post-facto environmental clearances.