Ken-Betwa Link National Project

under construction

The Ken-Betwa Link National Project is a major irrigation project adopting an underground pressurised pipe irrigation system. It involves constructing a 77-meter-high and 2.13-kilometre-long Daudhan Dam and two tunnels on the Ken River in Panna Tiger Reserve, Madhya Pradesh. The project will store 2,853 million cubic meters of water and transfer surplus water to the Betwa River through a 221 km long link canal, providing irrigation and drinking water facilities in Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh. It will irrigate 8.11 lakh hectares across 2,000 villages in 10 districts, benefit about 7 lakh farmer families, provide drinking water to 65 lakh people, and generate 103 MW hydropower and 27 MW solar energy. The project also includes renovating 42 historical Chandela-era ponds to increase groundwater levels and aims to end the water crisis in the Bundelkhand region and reduce migration for employment.