PM watching, UP & MP join river course

The Government today showed it means business on the ambitious river-linking project with Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh signing a Memoran...

The Government today showed it means business on the ambitious river-linking project with Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU)—the first of its kind—for connecting the Ken and Betwa rivers.

The tripartite agreement was signed by UP Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav, his MP counterpart Babulal Gaur and Water Resources Minister P R Dasmunsi, in the presence of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. It also paved the way for preparation of a Rs 30-crore Detailed Project Report (DPR). The agreement

The project was conceived by the Congress government 30 years ago before it was consigned to the backburner. In 2003, it was revived by the NDA government. In fact, before today’s MoU, the UPA government had never clearly outlined its stand on the Rs 4,000 crore initiative.

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This UP-MP link envisages diversion of surplus in the Ken river basin to water-deficit Betwa basin through a 231-km-long link canal till the Daudhan dam that will be constructed on the river.

Describing the signing of the agreement as a ‘‘historic step’’, Yadav said it could be a role model for other states to resolve their river disputes.

The Prime Minister too, endorsed the plan in Parliament today, adding that there would be no delay in its implementation. ‘‘Before coming to this House, I was witness to the signing of a feasibility report. The first DPR is being prepared. A number of other DPRs are in the pipeline. So, work is going on,’’ said the PM.

Once the surplus waters of Ken basin are transferred to Betwa, it would enhance irrigation and water supply in Chatarpur, Tikamgarh, Panna, Raisen and Vidisha districts of Madhya Pradesh and Hamirpur, Banda and Jhansi districts of UP.

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Dasmunshi said certain reservations of the UP government regarding the feasibility report of the Ken-Betwa link project—prepared by the National Water Development Authority (NWDA)—will ‘‘definitely be addressed at the DPR stage’’. UP has expressed concerns about the rehabilitation and displacement of several people around Jhansi.

Once the surplus waters are transferred from the Ken Basin, it will facilitate the construction of four additional medium irrigation projects in the Upper Betwa basin, where irrigation levels are very low.

The next in line is linking of Chambal and Parvati rivers. Four river-linking projects are in the pipeline, said Dasmunsi, adding that an agreement on one would be ‘‘clinched’’ soon.