Context

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone of India's first multipurpose Ken-Betwa National River Linking Project in Khajuraho, Madhya Pradesh, on the 100th birth anniversary of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.
• He also inaugurated Madhya Pradesh’s first solar power plant, Omkareshwar Floating Solar Project on river Narmada, Daudhan Dam and performed Bhoomi Pujan of 1,153 Atal Gram Sushasan Bhawans.
• He also released a stamp and coin in memory of Atal Bihari Vajpayee.
• Madhya Pradesh had become the first state to initiate two major river-linking projects under the national campaign.

Effect of Project on Panna tiger reserve

• The project will submerge over 10% of the core area of the Panna tiger reserve.
• Under the project, a 77-metre-high and 2.13-kilometre-long Daudhan dam and two tunnels (upper level 1.9 km and lower level 1.1 km) will be constructed on the Ken river in the Panna Tiger Reserve.
• Panna is the 22nd Tiger Reserve of India and 5th in Madhya Pradesh, situated in the Vindhya Ranges and spreads over Panna and Chhatarpur districts.

Ken-Betwa Link National Project

• Largest irrigation project in the country, estimated to cost Rs 44,605 crore.
• It will provide irrigation facilities to 8 lakh 11 thousand hectare area in 10 districts of Madhya Pradesh, Chhatarpur, Panna, Tikamgarh, Niwari, Damoh, Shivpuri, Datia, Raisen, Vidisha, and Sagar.
• It will provide 59000 hectares of annual irrigation facility in Mahoba, Jhansi, Lalitpur and Banda districts of Uttar Pradesh.
• The project will provide drinking water facility to 44 lakh population of Madhya Pradesh and 21 lakh population of Uttar Pradesh.
• It will also generate 103 MW of hydropower and 27 MW of solar energy.

About Ken and Betwa Rivers

• Betwa river originates in Vindhyan Hills, Madhya Pradesh.
• Ken river originates near Ahirgawan village in the Kaimur Range of Jabalpur district.
• Both are the tributaries of Yamuna.
• Ken meets with Yamuna in Banda, Uttar Pradesh and with Betwa in Hamirpur, Uttar Pradesh.
• Dams on Betwa River: Rajghat, Paricha and Matatila dams.
• Ken River passes through Panna tiger reserve.