Inter-Linking of Rivers

Ken-Betwa interlinking Project:
  • The Ken-Betwa ILR project aims to transfer surplus water from the Ken River to the Betwa basin through concrete canal to irrigate India’s worst drought-prone Bundelkhand region.
  • It is India’s first inter-State river interlinking project
  • The main feature of the project is a 230-km long canal and a series of barrages and dams connecting the Ken and Betwa rivers The key projects are Makodia and Dhaudhan dams.
  • On completion, the multipurpose project will benefit Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh in terms of meeting irrigation, drinking water and electricity needs of people across 6 districts in the two states.
  • Ken-Betwa river interlinking project will be the first river project that will be located within a tiger reserve.
  • It will submerge about 10% of the Panna Tiger Reserve in Madhya Pradesh which has been feted as a model tiger-conservation reserve

Damanganga-Pinjal Link

  • The proposal of Damanganga-Pinjal link envisages transfer of balance available water at the proposed Bhugad reservoir across Damangangariver and at the proposed Khargihill reservoir across Vagh river, a tributary of Damanganga river, in Damanganga basin for augmentation of water supply to Greater Mumbai to meet its domestic and industrial water requirements in the near future.
  • The Bhugad and Khargihill reservoirs (proposed by NWDA) and Pinjal reservoir (proposed by Government of Maharashtra across Pinjalriver, a tributary of Vaitarna river) areproposed to be connected through pressure tunnels.

Para-Tapi-Narmada Link

  • Par Tapi Narmada Link proposes to transfer water from the water surplus regions of Western Ghats to the water deficit regions of Saurashtra and Kutch.
  • The link project includes seven reservoirs proposed in north Maharashtra and south Gujarat.
  • The water from the seven proposed reservoirs would be taken through a 395 km long canal including the 33km length of the feeder canals to take over a part of the command of the on-going SardarSarovar Project, while irrigating small enroute areas.
  • This would save SardarSarovar water which will be used to extend irrigation in Saurashtra and Kutch region. 
  • The project of Par-Tapi-Narmada link generally falls in the state of Gujarat except Jheri reservoir which falls in Maharashtra state. Jheri dam is located in Nasik district of Maharashtra, while remaining dams viz. Mohankavchali, Paikhed, Chasmandva, Chikkar, Dabdar and Kelwan dams are located in Valsad and Dang districts of Gujarat. Par-Tapi reach of canal passes through Valsad, Navsari, Dang and Surat districts of South Gujarat whereas Tapi-Narmada reach of canal passes through Surat, Bharuch and Vadodara districts of Gujarat. Thus, the project area is mainly spread in the districts of South Gujarat except for Jheri dam and reservoir. 

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