The reason Ken-Betwa link was the first to get off the mark in the massive interlinking project is that it is the shortest— one large dam and a 251 km channel. There is minimal human displacement. Only 10 villages will be affected, but it is the forest land in Madhya Pradesh that is going to a casualty.Out of 8,650 hectares likely to get submerged, 6,4000 hectare is forest land and 2,171 hectare culturable land. Some of it falls under the Panna National ParkOut of a 533 square kilometre of Panna National Park, 45.96 square kilometre of reserve forest will be submerged at Full Reservoir Level. The forest is mostly teak and sal.The feasibility report, however, says that the impact on wildlife will be nil, as the area submerged is only 9% of the total and ‘‘wildlife has got its natural characteristic of moving to the interior of the forest’’.The region is covered by ‘‘dense to moderate forests’’. The feasibility report lists ‘‘tigers locally called ‘nahar’, leopard and panther’’ as permanent residents of the basin apart from 153 species of birds.The report estimates that 900 families would be displaced from 10 villages in Madhya Pradesh. Out of this, 34.4 per cent belong to the schedule tribes and 15.5 per to the scheduled castes.Ken is the last tributary of Yamuna before it joins Ganga. 87% of it lies in Madhya Pradesh and 12% in Uttar Pradesh.Betwa is an inter-state river that rises in Raisen district of MP — 68% of it lies in Madhya Pradesh and flows towards Jhansi district of Uttar Pradesh. This is also a tributary of Yamuna.The link will transfer excess water from Ken to Betwa through a 231 kilomtre canal. Only 18 km canal would be in Uttar Pradesh. The Daudhan dam would be 287 metres.MP, Rajasthan ink pactJAIPUR: Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh have agreed to implement the Parbati-Kalisindh-Chambal linking project. At a meeting attended by CMs Vasundhara Raje and Babulal Gaur, the two states agreed to prepare a detailed project report within six months.The states agreed to prepare a masterplan within a year to decide on the total utilisation of the 12 MAF (million acre feet) water available in the Chambal basin, Raje said. The report would be sent to the Centre for approval and funds, Raje said. — PTI
