Sonia Gandhi writes to Prakash Javadekar on Ken-Betwa Project
WATER & WASTE

Sonia Gandhi writes to Prakash Javadekar on Ken-Betwa Project

Indian National Congress President Sonia Gandhi has written to Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change Prakash Javadekar, asking him not to implement the Ken-Betwa river linking project, citing concerns of a threat to the Panna Tiger Reserve in Madhya Pradesh.

The Congress President noted that the Panna Tiger Reserve had been revived with great difficulty and is now considered an example of translocation and successful breeding.

The river-linking project now threatens the tiger reserve, and the state government's estimate is that around 40% of the area of the tiger reserve will be irretrievably damaged, Gandhi stated in her letter, pointing that around 18 lakh trees would be removed from the submergence area.

Last month, the Minister of Jal Shakti Gajendra Singh Shekhawat signed a tripartite agreement with Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh on the occasion of World Water Day to start the work on India's first major river interlinking project that will connect the Ken and the Betwa Rivers.

The memorandum of agreement (MoA) was signed almost 18 years after the project's idea was conceived due to disagreement between the two states over sharing of water.

A 73.8 m high dam proposed on Ken at Daudhan in Madhya Pradesh's Chhatarpur district. Both of the rivers are rain-fed and flow into the Yamuna. The project, which is estimated to take eight years to complete, has an estimated cost of Rs 35,111.24 crore.

The project was conceptualised in the 1980s, but the water-sharing agreement could not be reached between the two states. The work on the project was originally slated to begin in 2015 but only got a fresh push last year with the government making a revised deal with the two states.

Image Source


Also read: Ken-Betwa interlinking dam to wait longer

Indian National Congress President Sonia Gandhi has written to Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change Prakash Javadekar, asking him not to implement the Ken-Betwa river linking project, citing concerns of a threat to the Panna Tiger Reserve in Madhya Pradesh. The Congress President noted that the Panna Tiger Reserve had been revived with great difficulty and is now considered an example of translocation and successful breeding. The river-linking project now threatens the tiger reserve, and the state government's estimate is that around 40% of the area of the tiger reserve will be irretrievably damaged, Gandhi stated in her letter, pointing that around 18 lakh trees would be removed from the submergence area. Last month, the Minister of Jal Shakti Gajendra Singh Shekhawat signed a tripartite agreement with Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh on the occasion of World Water Day to start the work on India's first major river interlinking project that will connect the Ken and the Betwa Rivers. The memorandum of agreement (MoA) was signed almost 18 years after the project's idea was conceived due to disagreement between the two states over sharing of water. A 73.8 m high dam proposed on Ken at Daudhan in Madhya Pradesh's Chhatarpur district. Both of the rivers are rain-fed and flow into the Yamuna. The project, which is estimated to take eight years to complete, has an estimated cost of Rs 35,111.24 crore. The project was conceptualised in the 1980s, but the water-sharing agreement could not be reached between the two states. The work on the project was originally slated to begin in 2015 but only got a fresh push last year with the government making a revised deal with the two states. Image Source Also read: Ken-Betwa interlinking dam to wait longer

Next Story
Infrastructure Urban

India Spent Rs 1.5 Tn on Smart Cities in Past 10 Years

The Indian government launched the Smart Cities Mission on June 15, 2015, with the goal of transforming urban infrastructure across the country. As of April 11, 2025, ten years since its inception, over Rs 1.5 trillion has been spent on 7,504 completed projects, representing 94 per cent of the total planned projects valued at more than Rs 1.64 trillion. An additional Rs 131.42 billion worth of projects are currently under implementation. According to data from SBI Research, 92 per cent of the funds were utilised across 21 major states, with Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, and Maharashtra together ..

Next Story
Infrastructure Energy

Hyundai’s EcoGram Converts Gurugram’s Waste to Clean Energy

Hyundai’s EcoGram, a biogas plant and material recovery facility located in Gurugram, Haryana, has been established to support circular economy initiatives. The facility collects both wet and dry waste from 20 bulk waste generators, including residential welfare associations (RWAs), corporate offices, and commercial complexes, with assistance from the Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG). At the facility, the collected waste undergoes processing—wet waste is converted into biogas, which is then used to generate electricity, while dry waste is sorted for recycling. Since its inception,..

Next Story
Infrastructure Transport

Metro Line 8 DPR Nears Completion; CIDCO to Float Rs 200 Bn Tenders

The City and Industrial Development Corporation (CIDCO) is nearing completion of the Detailed Project Report (DPR) for Metro Line 8, commonly known as the Gold Line. This strategic 34.9-kilometre corridor is set to link Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) with the upcoming Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA). Estimated to cost around Rs 200 billion, the project is being developed under the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model. Once completed, Metro Line 8 will become Mumbai's second such corridor after Metro Line 1. CIDCO plans to float tenders once ..

Advertisement

Advertisement

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Get daily newsletters around different themes from Construction world.

STAY CONNECTED

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

Talk to us?