The river interlinking initiative proposed by the union government warrants comprehensive review and needs to be thoroughly examined, said Punjab Vidhan Sabha Speaker Kultar Singh Sandhwan, while characterizing this initiative as an unprecedented intervention in natural systems. He cautioned that such projects could adversely impact agricultural productivity and disrupt monsoon patterns.
In an official statement released here today, S. Kultar Singh Sandhwan said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently inaugurated the Ken-Betwa River Interlinking Project in Madhya Pradesh. Although the union government stated the objective of redistributing water resources to drought-prone regions, the Speaker said, scientific research indicates such interventions could significantly alter natural hydrological systems.
The Speaker expressed concerns that large-scale hydrological modifications could disrupt established monsoon patterns, potentially endangering agricultural sustainability and affecting multiple sectors nationwide. He advocated for prioritizing water conservation and recycling initiatives, asserting the critical need for implementing advanced water treatment and purification programs.
Notably, the Ken-Betwa Link Project is the inaugural project of 30 planned initiatives under the National Perspective Plan, orchestrated by the Union Ministry of Jal Shakti for water resource development and river connectivity. This project is supposed to channelize surplus water from Madhya Pradesh's Ken river to Uttar Pradesh's Betwa river, intended to enhance irrigation capabilities in the drought-susceptible Bundelkhand region.