Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Dr. Mohan Yadav on Thursday, 25 June 2026, stated that a proposal for the Ken-Mandakini inter-provincial river-linking project has been forwarded to the Union Government, while also highlighting irrigation expansion, rehabilitation payouts under the Ken-Betwa project, and progress on Shipra River ghats ahead of Simhastha 2028.

Context

Responding on X, Dr. Mohan Yadav stated — 'केन मंदाकिनी लिंक अंतर प्रांतीय परियोजना का प्रस्ताव भारत सरकार को प्रेषित किया गया है' — ('The proposal for the Ken-Mandakini inter-provincial link project has been sent to the Government of India'). This marks the formal initiation of a fresh inter-basin water transfer proposal by the state, distinct from the already-approved Ken-Betwa Link Project. The announcement signals Madhya Pradesh's continued push to expand its river-linking portfolio beyond the Bundelkhand corridor.

The Chief Minister also claimed that over the past two and a half years, the state's irrigation coverage has grown by approximately 10 lakh hectares. This figure, cited by the Chief Minister, reflects the state's ongoing canal and micro-irrigation expansion drive that gathered pace after 2023.

Policy Backdrop

The Ken-Betwa Link Project — India's first river-interlinking scheme under the National Perspective Plan — received Union Cabinet approval in 2021. It aims to transfer surplus water from the Ken basin to the water-scarce Betwa basin, benefiting drought-prone districts in both Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh. Dr. Yadav noted that under the project's special rehabilitation package, awards have been passed and 90 per cent of payments to displaced persons have been disbursed.

The proposed Ken-Mandakini Link would extend the inter-basin transfer logic further, connecting the Ken and Mandakini river basins. With the proposal now formally submitted to the Ministry of Jal Shakti, the next steps involve detailed project report preparation and inter-ministerial clearance. Successive governments at the Centre have backed the National River Linking Project as a long-term solution to regional water imbalances, particularly in the Bundelkhand and Malwa regions.

Stakeholders and Impact

Farmers across the water-stressed districts of Bundelkhand stand to be the primary beneficiaries of both the Ken-Betwa and the proposed Ken-Mandakini projects, which promise to bring perennial irrigation to rain-dependent agricultural land. The rehabilitation package update is significant for communities displaced by the Ken-Betwa dam infrastructure, with the 90 per cent payment milestone indicating advancing ground-level implementation.

On the religious and civic front, Dr. Yadav highlighted that construction of ghats along a 29-kilometre stretch of the Shipra River bank in Ujjain is 60 per cent complete. These ghats are being built to accommodate the millions of pilgrims expected to take ritual dips during Simhastha 2028, the Kumbh Mela held in Ujjain every twelve years. The BJP-led state government has framed riverfront development as a parallel priority alongside agricultural modernisation.

What's Next

The immediate watch-point is the Ministry of Jal Shakti's response to the Ken-Mandakini proposal — whether it advances to a detailed project report or faces inter-state consultations, particularly given that the project spans provincial boundaries. For the Ken-Betwa scheme, completing the remaining 10 per cent of rehabilitation payouts and accelerating civil works will be closely tracked by both state governments and affected communities.

With Simhastha 2028 less than two years away, the pace of ghat construction along the Shipra will face heightened scrutiny. Completion of the full 29-km riverfront infrastructure on schedule will be a visible test of the state administration's delivery capacity ahead of one of the world's largest religious gatherings.