Why in News?
An activist ended an 18-day hunger strike after the Madhya Pradesh government agreed to conduct fresh surveys of families allegedly excluded from rehabilitation under the Ken-Betwa Link Project.
Key Highlights
- Jai Kisan Sangathan leader Amit Bhatnagar suspended his indefinite fast after the government accepted the demand for fresh village-level surveys.
- The issue concerns villages in the Daudhan Dam submergence area in Chhatarpur district, Madhya Pradesh.
- Protesters alleged exclusion of eligible families from compensation and rehabilitation, flawed surveys, and irregularities in Gram Sabha proceedings.
- Joint teams of government officials and Jai Kisan Sangathan representatives will conduct fresh surveys.
- The agitation will continue under the banner of “Nyay Satyagraha.”
Ken-Betwa Link Project
- India’s first river interlinking project under the National Perspective Plan.
- Links the Ken River (Madhya Pradesh) with the Betwa River (Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh).
- Comprises the Daudhan Dam, a 221-km canal, and associated infrastructure.
- Aims to provide irrigation, drinking water, hydropower, and drought mitigation in the Bundelkhand region.
Concerns
- Submergence of forest areas, including parts of Panna Tiger Reserve.
- Displacement and rehabilitation of affected communities.
- Ecological impacts on river ecosystems and wildlife.
National River Linking Project (NRLP)
- Conceived by the National Water Development Agency (NWDA) in 1982.
- Envisages 30 inter-basin links (16 Peninsular and 14 Himalayan) to transfer water from surplus to deficit basins.
PYQ (2017, GS3, 10 Marks) Not many years ago, river linking was a concept but it is becoming reality in the country. Discuss the advantages of river linking and its possible impact on the environment.
[2016] Recently, linking of which of the following rivers was undertaken?
[A] Cauvery and Tungabhadra
[B] Godavari and Krishna
[C] Mahanadi and Sone
[D] Narmada and Tapti