Centre all set to sign Ken-Betwa link project MoU before LS polls

New Delhi: The Ken-Betwa Link Project (KBLP), which is moving at the snail's pace, may soon get a speedy start as the Water Resources Ministry, led by Union Minister Nitin Gadkari, is in the final process to complete the memorandum of understanding (MoU) signing formalities between the Centre and the states of Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh.

While talking to Millennium Post, a senior official said, "All the necessary preparations have been done and the MoU would be signed before elections."

"Interlinking of two rivers involves lots of work such as the acquisition of land, rehabilitation of villagers affected by the project, assuring the availability of water for all, etc. All the contentious issues have been resolved and soon after the MoU signing, the work would start at war footing," the official said.

The plan is to implement the major part of the project in next three years so that people of the rain-fed Bundelkhand region of Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh would start getting water before the country celebrates 75 years of its Independence in 2022.

The Centre has already made it clear that it would fund 90 per cent of its cost of over Rs 20,000 crore and foundation stone would be laid by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The project is expected to irrigate about 9 lakh hectares of land in Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh, provide drinking water to 6.3 million people in this region, including domestic water supply of Lalitpur. The total 9 lakh hectares of land also includes 6.07 lakh hectares in Madhya Pradesh.

As per the official, the project would also generate 103 MW of hydropower and 27 MW of solar power. The official further said that the project has received almost all the major clearances.