Lok Sabha Question No. 1924 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-07-31
Subject: Impact of Ken Betwa River Link Project
Ministry: JAL SHAKTI
Asked by: Shri Sasikanth Senthil

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF JAL SHAKTI

## DEPARTMENT OF WATER RESOURCES, RIVER DEVELOPMENT & GANGA REJUVENATION

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1924

ANSWERED ON 31.07.2025

## IMPACT OF KEN BETWA RIVER LINK PROJECT

## 1924.  SHRI SASIKANTH SENTHIL

Will the Minister of JAL SHAKTI be pleased to state:

(a)  whether  the  Government  has  conducted  any  environmental  impact  assessments,  including  the assessment of deforestation in Panna Tiger Reserve and its surrounding  areas,  for the  Ken-Betwa River Link Project and if so, the details thereof;

(b)  the  steps  taken/being  taken  by  the  Government  to  mitigate  the  loss  of  forest  cover  and  ensure  the protection of wildlife corridors during the execution of the said project;

(c) the number of families that have been or are expected to be displaced due to the project and the details of the rehabilitation and resettlement measures undertaken/proposed to be undertaken; and

(d) whether inter-state water sharing issues related to the Ken-Betwa River Link Project have been resolved between  the  participating  States  and  if  so,  the  details  thereof  along  with  the  current  status  of  such agreements?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR JAL SHAKTI

## ( SHRI RAJ BHUSHAN CHOUDHARY )

(a) Under the Ken-Betwa Link Project (KBLP),  the Environmental Impact Assessments (EIA) study has been  done  for  the  project.  As  per  EIA,  around  6017  hectares  of  forest  area  in  and  around  Panna  Tiger Reserve (PTR), Madhya Pradesh has been identified to be affected due to submergence and other project logistic usage .

(b) An  Integrated  Landscape Management Plan (ILMP) has been prepared, by the Wildlife Institute of India (WII), to improve habitat quality, maintain critical wildlife corridors linking adjacent Protected Areas (PAs), and enable the holistic protection and management of flagship species  - including tigers, vultures, and  gharials  -  as  well  as  promote  biodiversity  conservation  within  PTR  and  its  surrounding  ecological sensitive zones in both States  as  well as mitigation measures for  the loss of forest cover and to ensure the protection of wildlife .To ensure systematic and time-bound implementation of the ILMP, a Greater Panna Landscape Council (GPLC) is constituted under the chairmanship of the Chief Secretary, Government of Madhya Pradesh.

(c) For construction of Daudhan Dam, land acquisition is taken up by the State Government of Madhya Pradesh  under  Right  to  Fair  Compensation  and  Transparency  in  Land  Acquisition  Rehabilitation  and Resettlement  Act,  2013 ( RFCTLAR Act,  2013 ). At  the  time  of  Section  11  Notification, approximately 7193  families  were  estimated  to  be  project  affected.  Government  of  Madhya  Pradesh  has  approved  a special Rehabilitation & Resettlement package.

(d) Inter-State  water  sharing  issues  related  to  the  KBLP  have  been  resolved  between  the  participating States  through  the  Tripartite  Memorandum  of  Agreement  (MoA)  signed  on  22.03.2024.  MoA  may  be accessed at URL: https://nwda.gov.in/upload/uploadfiles/files/Tripartite%20MoA%20of%20KBLP.pdf