PM Modi inaugurates Ken-Betwa river project, sparks debate over development and ecology

Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the Ken-Betwa River Linking Project on December 25, marking the centenary of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s birth. Touted as a solution to water scarcity in the drought-hit Bundelkhand region, the project has ignited a debate over its environmental and social costs.

The ambitious venture aims to divert water from the Ken River to the Betwa River through a 221-kilometre-long canal, which includes a two-kilometre tunnel. According to the Jal Shakti Ministry, this initiative is expected to irrigate over 10 lakh hectares of farmland, provide potable water to 62 lakh people, and produce 130 MW of combined hydropower and solar energy. Estimated at ₹44,605 crore, the project has been planned in two phases, the first of which focuses on the construction of the Daudhan Dam, a structure spanning over two kilometres in length and standing 77 metres tall. This dam alone will submerge 9,000 hectares of land, impacting 10 villages in its vicinity.

Situated in Bundelkhand, which straddles Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh, the project is expected to alleviate water shortages in key districts such as Panna, Chhatarpur, and Tikamgarh in Madhya Pradesh, and Banda and Mahoba in Uttar Pradesh. It forms part of India’s broader National Perspective Plan to interlink rivers, envisioned to reduce water shortages across vulnerable regions.

However, the project has not been without controversy. Critics, including opposition leaders and environmentalists, have highlighted the risks to the Panna Tiger Reserve, where the dam is being built. Once home to a thriving tiger population that was successfully reintroduced after local extinction, the reserve stands to lose nearly 98 square kilometres of core forest area. Conservationists have warned of the potential collapse of delicate ecosystems, citing the displacement of tigers, the destruction of gharial habitats in the Ken Gharial Sanctuary, and threats to vulture nesting grounds.

Further complicating the project’s narrative are concerns over its long-term environmental consequences. Studies have indicated that large-scale water transfers, as proposed here, could disrupt regional rainfall patterns, with one analysis by IIT-Bombay suggesting rainfall deficits of up to 12 percent in September. The Central Empowered Committee of the Supreme Court had earlier flagged the project’s economic and ecological viability, questioning why alternative irrigation options in the region had not been fully explored.

Despite these warnings, the government has proceeded with the plan, securing environmental clearances to construct the dam within a protected tiger reserve—an unprecedented decision. Opposition voices, particularly from the Congress, have condemned the move, accusing the government of disregarding ecological balance for short-term gains.

The Ken-Betwa Project was first conceptualised in 2005, and its execution gained momentum with a tripartite agreement in 2021 between the Centre and the governments of Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh. Declared a National Project in 2008, it has since faced delays due to environmental assessments and political concerns. With an estimated completion timeline of eight years, the project remains a flashpoint between development priorities and environmental conservation, raising questions that are unlikely to fade as construction progresses.