Bhopal, Dec 25 (IANS): On the occasion of the 100th birth anniversary of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, PM Narendra Modi on Wednesday inaugurated and laid the foundation stone of multiple development projects in Madhya Pradesh including the Ken-Betwa Link Project.
Addressing the gathering, PM Modi said that once the Ken-Betwa Link Project becomes a reality, it will open new doors of prosperity and happiness in the Bundelkhand region and other districts of Uttar Pradesh including Banda, Mahoba, Lalitpur, and Jhansi will also benefit from it.
A couple of farmers from the Bundelkhand region, speaking to IANS, voiced their excitement as well as optimism about their future because of the key river-interlinking project.
“Under this scheme, common people will be able to get adequate water, which will strengthen their economic condition. Along with this, the yield of crops will also increase,” said farmer Vinod Kumar Lodhi.
Vinod Kumar, another farmer said, “The project will prove beneficial for the farmers of eight districts of the entire Bundelkhand region.”
Ram Gopal Gupta, sharing his opinion, said, “I have been troubled by water woes but now with this scheme, crop yield will increase and prosperity will come into our lives.”
He also thanked the Prime Minister for giving a green signal to the scheme.
Envisaged under the ambitious river-linking campaign, the Ken-Betwa Link Project (KBLP) aims to transfer water from the Ken River to the Betwa River, both tributaries of the Yamuna, via a 221-km canal that includes a 2-km tunnel, with an aim to provide water to huge swathes of land amounting to 11 lakh hectares.
The work of lower and major projects under the Kenwa-Betwa Link National Project is going on at a fast pace. The total cost of this project is Rs 2,208 crore, and 40 per cent work has been completed so far. The remaining work is targeted to be completed by 2026.
In the second phase of this project, an irrigation facility will be provided through high pressure (mico method) in 253 villages of Shivpuri and Datia districts. Under this scheme, irrigation will be done in 1,10,400 hectare area, which will benefit about 53,790 families.
Additionally, 6 million cubic meters of water in the project's dam will be secured for drinking water. This will provide clean drinking water to approximately 1,65,000 population of 33,000 families in 125 villages of Pichor tehsil.