Transforming Water Security

Madhya Pradesh spearheads India's river-linking revolution, fulfilling Atal Bihari Vajpayee's vision with the transformative Ken-Betwa and PKC projects, ensuring water security and agricultural prosperity

- DR SATYAPRAKASH SHARMA

In a country where water scarcity threatens agricultural productivity, economic stability, and the well-being of millions, the river-linking concept has emerged as a bold solution. Among the most critical projects in India's ambitious river interlinking initiative are the modified Parvati Kalisindh-Chambal (PKC) and Ken-Betwa linkages, both hold immense promise for transforming the water landscape of Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and parts of Uttar Pradesh.

In both projects, Madhya Pradesh has played a pivotal role as it is the birthplace of rivers, which will be linked to resolving the water scarcity threats and managing the availability of water for various purposes like irrigation, drinking water, industrial use, flushing and increasing water ground table to the trio states.

Madhya Pradesh is set to become the first state in the country to implement the ambitious National River Linking Project (NRLP). On December 25, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will lay the foundation stone for the Ken-Betwa Link Project in Khajuraho of drought-prone Bundelkhand, to mark the centenary birth anniversary of former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee, an ideological stalwart of the Saffron party, who had taken the vision of interlinking rivers.

Earlier, a significant development took place on December 17 in Jaipur, where a tripartite Memorandum of Agreement was signed among the governments of Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, and the Centre for the implementation of the PKC project in the presence of PM Modi. The event was also marked by the attendance of MP Chief Minister Dr Mohan Yadav, his Rajasthan counterpart Bhanwarlal Sharma and Union Jal Shakti Minister C.R. Patil.

These two projects gained momentum after Mohan Yadav became the CM of Madhya Pradesh, owing to his dedicated efforts. Otherwise, both projects had been pending for nearly two decades. Another significant factor is also the formation of a BJP government in Rajasthan.