For the people of Bundelkhand region of Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh, the day of 8 December 2021 brought such good news, which the whole Bundelkhand will remember forever. On this day, the Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi approved the project of interlinking of Ken-Betwa rivers. This project is the first step towards realising the vision of the country's former Prime Minister Late Atal Bihari Vajpayee's River Link Campaign to tackle drought and floods simultaneously. Along with approving the project, the Union Cabinet has also fixed the time for completion of the project by sanctioning an amount of 44 thousand 605 crores for the scheme on the basis of the prices of the year 2020-21.
This unique project, first of its kind in the country, will change the fate of lakhs of farmers and will now saturate the thirsty throats of the people of drought-affected Bundelkhand. About 12 lakh hectare dry land of both the states will get the benefit of irrigation from this project. 9 districts of Madhya Pradesh namely Raisen, Vidisha, Sagar, Damoh, Chhatarpur, Panna, Tikamgarh, Shivpuri and Datia along with Banda, Mahoba, Jhansi and Lalitpur districts of Uttar Pradesh will get the benefit of drinking water besides irrigation.
Chouhan said that the project will become the lifeline of Bundelkhand. With this, 8 lakh 11 thousand hectares of unirrigated area will get the benefit of irrigation in 9 districts of Bundelkhand region of Madhya Pradesh. About 42 lakh people will have easy availability of drinking water. The land of Bundelkhand is very fertile, which has been a victim of drought due to lack of water.
This water will change the fate and picture of the people of Bundelkhand. Chief Minister Shri Chouhan while expressing gratitude to Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi said that the project is moving towards completion only as a result of his vision and mission.
The project is going to prove to be a life-giver for the people of Bundelkhand running far and wide for water during summer. In the inauguration programme of 'Jal Shakti Abhiyan' "Catch the Rain" on March 22, 2021 on World Water Day, Chief Minister Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan had signed a three-party agreement between the Central Government, Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh for Ken-Betwa Link National Project in the presence of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi.