Ken-Betwa river project: Balancing development with ecological concerns

India's ambitious river-linking plan faces criticism for environmental and human costs

With Prime Minister Narendra Modi laying the foundation stone for the “Ken-Betwa River Linking National Project” on December 25, a controversial project is off the ground 29 years after it was conceived. This is the first of 16 river-linking projects under a decades-old river-linking plan, which involves some Himalayan rivers. The Ken-Betwa project involves transferring “excess” water from the Ken river to the Betwa river, both tributaries of the Yamuna, via a 221-km link canal, including a 2-km tunnel. The project is expected to provide water to the traditionally parched and backward area of Bundelkhand, covering 13 districts of the