To address water scarcity in Bundelkhand
The Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved the funding and implementation of the Rs 44,605 crore Ken-Betwa inter-linking of rivers project, which will address the water scarcity in the Bundelkhand region of Madhya Pradesh and poll-bound Uttar Pradesh.
The Cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi also approved the continuation of Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana (Rural) for another three years to provide financial assistance for the construction of the remaining 155.75 lakh houses under the scheme.
Briefing media, Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Thakur said the Ken-Betwa rivers interlinking project will get Central support of Rs 39,317 crore, covering a grant of Rs 36,290 crore and a loan of Rs 3,027 crore. This will pave the way for more such projects for interlinking of rivers in the country, he added.
The Ken-Betwa project involves the transfer of water from the Ken river to the Betwa river through the construction of the Daudhan dam (the Lower Orr project, Kotha Barrage) and a canal linking the two rivers (the Bina Complex Multipurpose project). The project will ensure annual irrigation of over 10.62 lakh hectares of land, drinking water supply to a population of about 62 lakh, and also generate 103 MW of hydropower and 27 MW of solar power.
It is expected to be implemented in eight years with state-of-the-art technology.
“The project will be of immense benefit to the water-starved Bundelkhand region, spread across the States of Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh,” an official statement said. The Ken-Betwa project will benefit the districts of Panna, Tikamgarh, Chhatarpur, Sagar, Damoh, Datia, Vidisha, Shivpuri and Raisen in Madhya Pradesh and Banda, Mahoba, Jhansi and Lalitpur in Uttar Pradesh.
“The project also comprehensively provides for environment management and safeguards. For this purpose, a comprehensive landscape management plan is under finalisation by the Wildlife Institute of India,” the statement said.
The I&B Minister said PMAY has been extended beyond March 2021, and till March 31, 2024. The total target is to construct 2.95 crore ‘pucca’ houses. The total financial implication for construction of the remaining 155.75 lakh houses is Rs 2,17,257 crore, with a Central share of Rs 1,25,106 crore and a State share of Rs 73,475 crore for achieving cumulative targets of 2.95 crore houses in rural areas, an official statement later said.
As of November 29 this year, 1.65 crore PMAY-G houses have been constructed out of the total target of 2.95 crore, said Thakur.