To fulfill the dream envisioned by former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee of interlinking the rivers of the country, a memorandum of agreement (MoA) has been signed between the Union Jal Shakti Ministry and the chief ministers of Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh to implement the Ken-Betwa Link Project
The project was inked on the occasion of World Water Day during the virtual launch of 'Catch the Rain Campaign'.
The first project of the National Perspective Plan to link rivers will provide relief to the residents of the parched regions and will be of immense benefit to the water deficit areas of Bundelkhand, especially to the districts of Panna, Tikamgarh, Chhatarpur, Sagar, Damoh, Datia, Vidisha, Shivpuri and Raisen of Madhya Pradesh and Banda, Mahoba, Jhansi, Hamirpur and Lalitpur of Uttar Pradesh, according to a PMO statement.
"Bundelkhand is a land of bravehearts and its people will not be allowed to remain thirsty. Ken-Betwa river linking will help resolve the water scarcity and will bring prosperity in this region," said Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.
The project will provide annual irrigation of 2.51 lakh hectares, 1700 million cubic metres (mcm) of water to Uttar Pradesh and drinking water supply to about 62 lakh people and also generate 103 MW of hydropower.
The ambitious project will also benefit the districts of Jhansi, Mahoba, Lalitpur and Hamirpur of Uttar Pradesh by providing 67 mcm of potable water to over 21 lakh people.
Ending the 15-year-long wait, the project involving the transfer of surplus water from Ken river in Panna district in Madhya Pradesh to Betwa river in Uttar Pradesh will be done through the construction of a Dhaudan Dam and a 221 km-long canal connecting the rivers to support the water-starved districts.
"It also will pave the way for more interlinking of river projects to ensure that scarcity of water does not become an inhibitor for development in the country," CM Yogi explained, while mentioning the constant efforts of the government to provide basic amenities to common people.
The water conservation campaign will be undertaken across India, in both rural and urban areas, with the theme 'Catch the rain, where it falls, when it falls'.

What this pact means
" To provide irrigation and drinking water facilities to Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh in the Bundelkhand area, an agreement was made between the Central government and the governments of Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh in August, 2005, regarding water distribution of the Ken-Betwa River Basin. However, no action was taken by subsequent governments.
" Through this project, irrigation systems will be made available to a total area of 2.51 lakh hectare in the Mahoba, Lalitpur, Hamirpur, Jhansi and Banda districts of Uttar Pradesh.
" In order to ensure the filling of the Maudaha Dam in Hamirpur, irrigation systems will be provided in the 26,900 hectare area of Hamirpur along with providing drinking water facilities in Rath tehsil.
" About 37,564 hectares in district Mahoba, 3,533 hectares in Lalitpur, about 17,488 hectares in Jhansi, 26,900 hectares in Hamirpur and about 1,92,479 hectares in Banda will get the benefit of irrigation facility.
" Under the project, two barrages will be constructed to store approximately 188 million cubic metres (mcm) of water in the downstream of Bariarpur Dam
" Construction, renovation and restoration works of Bariarpur pickup weir, Parichha weir, Barua Sagar dam, etc. will be the carried out under this project.
" The work of water tanks and their water system is proposed in Mahoba, through which the water can be used during non-monsoon period by collecting water during the monsoon. Banda and Jhansi districts will be benefited with the Pressurised Pipe System and Micro Irrigation system.