Two Indian states -- Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh will sign an agreement to implement the Ken-Betwa Link Project (KBLP) today. Accordin to the Jal Shakti Ministry, the pact will be signed in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Minister of Jal Shakti Gajendra Singh Shekhawat and the Chief Ministers of the two states -- Yogi Adityanath (UP) and Shivraj Singh Chouhan (MP).
The Ken Betwa Link Project is the first project of the National Perspective Plan for interlinking of rivers. Under this project, water from the Ken river will be transferred to Betwa River
PM Modi will also launch the "Jal Shakti Abhiyan: Catch the Rain" campaign on the World Water Day todday.
The Ministry said that the KBLP will herald the beginning of inter-state cooperation to implement the vision of former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee to carry water from areas that have surplus water to drought prone and water deficit areas through the interlinking of rivers.
Meanwhile, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh has expressed fear that the interlinking of Ken and Betwa rivers will destroy the Panna Tiger Reserve in Madhya Pradesh. The former Environment minister said he had suggested alternatives in this regard 10 years ago but those were ignored.
"The CMs of UP and MP will sign a pact today to link the Ken and Betwa rivers. This will all but destroy the Panna Tiger Reserve in MP, a success story in translocation and revival. I had suggested alternatives 10 years ago but alas...," he said on Twitter.
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