Lucknow. The water sharing dispute between Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh in the much awaited Ken-Betwa link project is now in the final stages. This month, a meeting is proposed under the chairmanship of Union Water Resources Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat. In this, a final decision will be taken by taking a plan for water requirement from both the states. Shekhawat sought this proposal from both states in a meeting held in September this year. Madhya Pradesh Water Resources Department has prepared this proposal, which has been sent to the Chief Minister’s Office for approval. The project proposes to provide 700 MCM (million cubic meters) of water to Uttar Pradesh in the Rabi season and 1000 MCM in the Kharif season.
The Ken-Betwa link project on water sharing has not been in existence for 15 years. Water was divided between the two states in the year 2005, but later the demand for Uttar Pradesh increased and there was controversy. Due to this, the problem of drinking water and irrigation water in the Bundelkhand region of Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh is also not being solved.
In September, Shekhawat convened a meeting of water resources ministers and officials of both states to resolve the dispute. In this, Minister Shekhawat had also expressed displeasure over the delay in the project due to this dispute and sought water plans from both states by October. The meeting was again proposed on October 29, which was postponed due to the by-election in Madhya Pradesh. Now this meeting will be after Diwali. In which both states will keep their action plan. Ms Dabur, the chief engineer of the Department of Water Resources, is not ready to say anything in this matter.
If more water is given, there will not be irrigation: Sources reveal that the Madhya Pradesh Water Resources Department has made it clear in the water requirement plan that it will be able to provide 700 MCM water to Uttar Pradesh in Rabi season and 1000 MCM in Kharif. If more water is given, then 4.47 lakh hectare area of Madhya Pradesh will have less water for irrigation. The department also argues that Madhya Pradesh has to bear the loss of forest, land and habitat area for forest dwellers in the project, so our first right to water is also ours.
Demand for such increased water: In the year 2005, it was decided to provide 547 MCM water to Rabi crop and 1153 MCM water for Kharif crop. In April 2018, on the demand of Uttar Pradesh, it was agreed to allocate 700 MCM of water for the rabi crop. At the same time, the central government decided to give 788 MCM water of Uttar Pradesh. Even after this, in July 2019, Uttar Pradesh asked for 930 MCM water. Madhya Pradesh is not ready to provide this much water.
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