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MetaculusFEB 24
India: Ken-Betwa River Project Sparks Environmental Battle
Above: Sadhu holy man sitting on rocks on the Betwa River in Orchha, Madhya Pradesh, India on Jan. 2, 2022. Image copyright: Chris Caldicott/Contributor/Design Pics Editorial/Universal Images Group via Getty Images
The Facts
Thousands of villagers in India's Madhya Pradesh state are protesting the government's proposed linking of the Ken River with the Betwa River, the first of 16 proposed river-linking projects dating from the 1980s, claiming the developments will take away their homes and livelihoods.
The Ken-Betwa project, its first major river interlinking initiative with a budget of 440B rupees (US$5.06B), aims to transfer water from the Ken River to the Betwa River through a network of tunnels, canals, and dams to address water scarcity in the Bundelkhand region.
The project, scheduled for completion by 2030, promises to irrigate 1.06M hectares (2.6M acres) of land, provide drinking water to 6.2M people, and generate 130 megawatts of combined hydropower and solar energy, though it will reportedly displace over 7K families from 21 villages.
The Spin
Narrative A
This project is vital for addressing water scarcity in the drought-prone regions of Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh. Transferring surplus water from the Ken to the Betwa boost irrigation, enhance agriculture, and generate hydropower. The project's feasibility is grounded in detailed planning under the National Perspective Plan, promising sustainable water management and economic growth while keeping ecological concerns front and center.
Narrative B
This project is flawed and unnecessary, especially since sand mining and droughts have already depleted the Ken River, questioning the surplus water premise. It will also require felling millions of trees, submerging the Panna tiger reserve, and displacing 21 villages, essentially threatening entire ecosystems and livelihoods. Given these devastating environmental and financial costs, it would be far more appropriate to restore ancient tanks.
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