Modi to kick-start $87 billion river inter-linking project "without eco-clearance", top environmentalist objects

By A Representative
Is the Government of India set to go ahead with its controversial $87 billion Ket-Betwa scheme to connect two major rivers without environmental clearance? It would seem so if, following a major report on this, facts revealed by senior environmentalist Himanshu Thakkar are any indication.
The scheme involves construction of a dam on the Ken river, also known as the Karnavati, in north-central India and a 22-km (14-mile) canal connecting it to the shallow Betwa. Both rivers flow through vast areas of Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh, both under BJP rule. The project is supposed to provide the initial boost, required for other proposed river interlinking projects.
Thakkar, taking strong exception to the reported clearance of the the project, says, "The environmental clearance does not exist, final forest clearance does not exist, conditional wild life clearance is under scrutiny by the Central Empowered Committee (CEC), which is to be followed by Supreme Court scrutiny and inter-state agreement between MP and UP."
In fact, Thakkar says, "The actual Environmental Clearance letter is yet to be issued", something for which one has to just see "the the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change's (MoEFCC's) Environmental Clearance website", adding, all other clearances are conditional and not valid till forest and wildlife recommendations happen.
Worse, says Thakkar, even the are environmental public hearings for the the canal and the downstream affected areas, as required for clearing the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) report, which, according to him is "flawed". Given all these facts, Thakkar says, the claim that there exists a Cabinet note to allow the project to go ahead has little meaning, as the Cabinet note "is not a statutory document."
Despite these steps, considered necessary for moving ahead with the project, Modi is said to have personally pushed through clearances for its first phase of the project, "despite opposition from environmentalists, tiger lovers and a former royal family." Sanjeev Balyan, the junior water resources minister, has been quoted as saying that “we have got clearances in record time, with the last round of clearances coming in only this year,”
The 425-km Ken flows through a tiger reserve, with the government planning to clear out 6.5% of the forest reserve to build the dam, relocating nearly 2,000 families from 10 villages. Further, the proposed 77-metre high, 2-km long dam on the Ken River will submerge 9,000 hectares of mostly forest land. A big portion will come from the Panna Tiger Reserve, near the UNESCO world heritage site of Khajuraho Temple in Madhya Pradesh. The forest reserve, a major tourist attraction, is home to 30-35 tigers and nearly 500 vultures.
Yet, there are indications that the Union Cabinet is likely to give its final go-ahead for the project within a couple of weeks, after which Modi would flag off construction at the site, which is situated "about 805 km (500 miles) from New Delhi, currently marked only by rows of red concrete slabs placed on the ground."
This will be followed by the government "finishing up paperwork on projects in western India linking the Par-Tapi with the Narmada and the Daman Ganga with the Pinjal. The projects involve Modi’s home state of Gujarat and neighbouring Maharashtra, which includes Mumbai, both also ruled by the BJP."
The river-linking projects was contemplated under Prime Minister Indira Gandhi in 1981. Repeated attempts to go ahead with its different components got stalled because state governments sparred over water sharing contracts. This time, officials wonder, starting with projects that are all in BJP-ruled states would see "smooth negotiations."

Comments

GreenTech Summit claims NCR as key green building hub, without pan-India comparison

By A Representative The Indian Green Building Council (IGBC), under the Confederation of Indian Industry, held its GreenTech Summit 2026 in New Delhi, where industry representatives, policymakers and sustainability professionals discussed the adoption of climate technologies in India’s built environment.

Buddhist shrines were 'massively destroyed' by Brahmanical rulers: Historian DN Jha

Nalanda mahavihara By Rajiv Shah Prominent historian DN Jha, an expert in India's ancient and medieval past, in his new book , "Against the Grain: Notes on Identity, Intolerance and History", in a sharp critique of "Hindutva ideologues", who look at the ancient period of Indian history as "a golden age marked by social harmony, devoid of any religious violence", has said, "Demolition and desecration of rival religious establishments, and the appropriation of their idols, was not uncommon in India before the advent of Islam".

Swami Vivekananda's views on caste and sexuality were 'painfully' regressive

By Bhaskar Sur* Swami Vivekananda now belongs more to the modern Hindu mythology than reality. It makes a daunting job to discover the real human being who knew unemployment, humiliation of losing a teaching job for 'incompetence', longed in vain for the bliss of a happy conjugal life only to suffer the consequent frustration.

Beyond the election manifesto: Why climate is now a kitchen table issue

By Vikas Meshram* March has long been a month of gentle transition, the period when winter softly retreats and a mild warmth signals nature’s renewal. Yet, in recent years, this dependable rhythm has been disrupted. This year, since the beginning of March, temperatures across vast swathes of the country have shattered previous records, soaring to between 35 and 40 degrees Celsius in some regions. This is not a mere fluctuation in the weather; it is a serious and alarming indicator of climate change .

As India logs historic emissions drop, expert warns govt against 'policy blunders'

By A Representative In a significant development that underscores the rapid transformation of India's energy landscape, new data reveals the country recorded its largest drop in power sector emissions in 2025. However, a top power sector analyst has urged the Union Government to view this "silver lining" as a stark warning against continuing to invest in new coal, large hydro, and nuclear projects, which he argues could become "redundant" stranded assets.

Jerusalem's Al Aqsa mosque under siege: A test of Muslim solidarity and Palestine’s future

By Syed Ali Mujtaba* In the cacophony of Israel’s and the United States’ attack on Iran, one piece of news has been buried under the debris of war: Israel has closed the Al Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem to Palestinian worshippers during the holy month of Ramadan. The closure, announced as indefinite, affects the third most revered mosque in the Islamic world.

Fresh citizenship framework suggested amidst electoral roll concerns

By Kathyayini Chamaraj The ongoing exercise of Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls has raised serious concerns about the potential disenfranchisement of large numbers of citizens. In many instances, people are being asked to produce retrospective documents to establish their citizenship—documents that many genuine citizens are unable to provide. The challenge before policymakers is to identify prospective amendments to the Citizenship Act that would ensure that no legitimate citizen is excluded either from citizenship or from the electoral roll.

NGO Arunoday’s journey of support and struggle: Standing firm with the distressed

By Bharat Dogra It was a situation of acute distress. Nearly ten thousand people returning to their villages during the COVID-19 pandemic had gathered at the border of Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh near Kanha. Exhausted after walking long distances with little or no food, they were desperate for relief. Yet entry could not be granted without completing essential records and complying with pandemic rules.

How wars are undermining climate promises even as accelerating global warming

By N.S. Venkataraman* Since 1995, global climate conferences have convened annually, with the 29th Conference of Parties (COP29) held in November 2024. These gatherings attract world leaders and generate extensive media coverage, raising hopes of decisive strategies to address the climate emergency. Yet, despite lofty promises and ambitious targets, the crisis remains unabated.

Search This Blog