Can India’s ₹45,000 Cr Ken Betwa link project really end Bundelkhand’s water crisis?

Starting from the Ganga to the Periyar, there are 400+ rivers in India, like the Ken and the Betwa. These two rivers are the tributaries of the right bank of the river Yamuna, which is the biggest tributary of the river Ganga.

These two rivers start flowing from the state of Madhya Pradesh, which is also famous for its tigers and is called the “Tiger State” of India. Both these rivers flow through the Bundelkhand region of India.

The Ken River starts from the Kaimur range near the Ahirgawan village, Katni district. It flows through Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh and later merges with the Yamuna River at Chilla village, UP.  The total length of the river is approximately 427 km.

The Betwa River begins in the Vindhya range of the Raisen district. Like the Ken River, it flows through MP and UP. It meets the Yamuna River near Hamirpur, UP. The length of the river is approximately 590 km.

In 1980, the Ken-Betwa Linking Project (KPLP) was launched under the National Perspective Plan (NPP). The reason? To provide "surplus" water from the Ken basin in Madhya Pradesh to the water-deficit Betwa basin in Uttar Pradesh.

The project has had its easy and rough patches. In 2002, the Supreme Court of India asked the central government to speed up the process of linking the rivers. It has been approved by the cabinet at times, and the total cost of the project is estimated at about Rs 45,000 crore.

In Phase I of this river-linking project, the Daudhan Dam, a 221 km long canal and power stations will be constructed. Phase II relates to secondary dams, barrages and the Bina Complex.

Will Ken Basin literally provide “Surplus” water to the Betwa Basin?

The Ken and Betwa River basins lie in the Bundelkhand region. The area falls in the category of being semi-arid and is prone to droughts. It covers areas from both Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh states.

What makes the Betwa basin more arid than the Ken basin?

Both the basins lie in the semi-arid region of Bundelkhand. Both basins get equal amounts of rainfall. It all boils down to the issue of storage against usage.

The Betwa Basin Suffers from "Overuse" (Human Demand)

• The lower Betwa basin passes through regions where farming is intensively practised. In such regions, farmers practise farming with crops that require large quantities of water (such as wheat).
• Farming is done on a large scale, therefore using huge amounts of water. This has greatly reduced the amount of water in the river.

The Ken Basin Has "Sparing Use" (Less Demand)

• Most of the land surrounding the Ken River basin, especially around the Panna Tiger Reserve, is covered by forests. 
• There is minimal development in the areas of the Upper Ken basin. Furthermore, they do not practise any form of intensive agricultural practices using the water.
• There are several large dams along the Betwa River, such as the Rajghat and Matatila dams. Dams act as water catchments which divert water from the rivers.
• However, there are no modern dams along the Ken River. This is because its water is not disturbed frequently.

Illusion of "Surplus"

According to the experts on rivers, the two rivers get almost the same amount of rain. In the summer, both rivers are extremely dry.

The Betwa region is relatively drier compared to the others because of its large population and well-developed agriculture. They use up all the water.

On the other hand, the Ken region is still rather wild and has very little development. Because of the lower requirement for water, the Ken River retains most of its water.

The Ken-Betwa Water Linking Project: A Miracle Cure or Ecological Disaster?

Bundelkhand

Ken Betwa River linking project gets going!

NCC Limited gets contract for execution of Daudhan Dam from Ken Betwa Link Project Authority.

Rs 3,389.49 crore EPC project is for planning, designing, engineering & hydro-electric works to be completed in 72 months. pic.twitter.com/dfbPuKKLT1

— The Uttar Pradesh Index (@theupindex) December 4, 2024

The Ken-Betwa link scheme was started by the Government of India in 1980 to solve the issue of water imbalance prevailing in the two regions – the Ken basin and the Betwa basin.

The most important objective of this scheme is to ensure the supply of safe drinking water to 62 lakh people and give irrigation facilities to 10.62 lakh hectares of barren land.

Besides this, 130 MW of energy will be produced (hydroelectric energy – 103 MW; solar energy – 27 MW).

In the first step, an enormous Daudhan Dam will be constructed on the Ken River in order to collect the water. In the second step, a 221 km long concrete canal will be constructed between the two rivers. Lastly, water from the Ken River will flow through the canal into the arid region of the Betwa River.

However, about the Ken River, it helps sustain the ancient structures of the Gangau and Bariyarpur wetlands, which help irrigate thousands of hectares of land in the Banda (UP) and Panna (MP) districts.

The Betwa River serves as the lifeline of agriculture in 11 districts due to massive structures like the Rajghat, Matatila, and Parichha dams.

The villages along the banks of rivers use the available natural resources, such as sand mining and fishing, as sources of survival, but mining is increasingly becoming a threat to this natural source of income.

The Ken River flows through the Panna Tiger Reserve. The river serves as an ecotourism destination as well as home to several endangered animals, including tigers, gharials, vultures, and Gangetic dolphins.

What are the Cons and Environmental Concerns of this Ken-Betwa Linking Project?

Though economic gains are well advertised, environmentalists and specialists have pointed out some significant issues:

• Habitat Submersion of Tigers: Nearly 6,000 hectares of the Panna Tiger Reserve will be submerged due to the Daudhan Dam project. It might create hurdles in the movement of tigers and would destroy vulture nests.
• Impact on Aquatic Species: Due to disturbance in the natural flow of water, there would be an impact on the aquatic animals of the region, such as the critically endangered gharial and Gangetic dolphin.
• Outdated Data of "Surplus": Most hydrologists claim that the idea of surplus water in the Ken River is outdated and does not consider the fast-changing monsoon patterns due to climate change.

Why Are People Protesting?

The social human cost of the project has triggered heavy resistance from local and indigenous communities.

Forced Displacement of Tribal Communities

It is estimated that 24 villages would have to be drowned or relocated, and this will displace over 7,000 families. Most of the people to be displaced are Gonds and Kols. They rely totally on the forest and riverbed for their subsistence.

Compensation and Rehabilitation Failures

• Empty Promises: Even after the government assured compensation worth up to ₹12.5 lakh per family, a small number of families have actually received the payment.
• Ridiculously Low Compensation Payments: Activists have drawn attention to some highly shocking incidents of compensation being paid to tribal families at ridiculously low rates – for example, ₹16 to ₹200 for their old houses.
• "No Land for Land": The protesters are calling for "land in lieu of land" and "village in lieu of village" for maintaining the social cohesiveness of the community, but this is an aspect that has mostly been overlooked by the administration.
• Violating the Forest Rights Act (FRA): The activists are emphasising that the displacement constitutes a violation of the Forest Rights Act (FRA), 2006, as it is a requirement under this Act that any acquisition of tribal land be done with their consent.

The "Chita Andolan"

#WATCH | Chhatarpur, MP | Tribal families affected by the Ken–Betwa Link Project and the Runjh–Majhguwa Dam have been protesting for the past 11 days. Hundreds of tribal women staged a ‘Panchtatva Movement’, collectively demonstrating a mark of resistance. https://t.co/XVCE8MwBa3 pic.twitter.com/4T39S9sJd9

— ANI (@ANI) April 15, 2026

The protests took a peak form in the Chhatarpur district of Madhya Pradesh during April 2026. The tribal women held the "Chita Andolan" (Pyre Protest), in which they lay on symbolic funeral pyres at the site of the project. The message to the administration was that the displacement without proper rehabilitation was tantamount to slow death.