Bhopal, Dec 25 (NationPress) Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the foundation stone for the ₹49,000 crore Ken-Betwa river-linking project located in the Bundelkhand region of Madhya Pradesh on Wednesday.

Prime Minister Modi is set to arrive at Khajuraho Airport by 12:30 p.m., from where he will head to Chhatarpur to commence the project.

This occasion aligns with the 100th birth anniversary of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, who proposed the national river-linking scheme back in 2002.

The Ken-Betwa project, marking the first river-linking endeavor under the national river interlinking policy, is designed to tackle the challenges of drought and migration in the Bundelkhand region spanning Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh.

The initiative is projected to benefit over 8.11 lakh hectares in Madhya Pradesh and 59,000 hectares in Uttar Pradesh, impacting approximately seven lakh farmers and enhancing existing irrigation systems.

Additionally, it aims to supply drinking water to 44 lakh individuals in Madhya Pradesh and 21 lakh in Uttar Pradesh, while also generating 103 MW of hydropower and 27 MW of solar energy. Furthermore, it seeks to restore 42 Chandela-era heritage ponds to improve groundwater levels.

Chief Minister Mohan Yadav, upon reviewing the event arrangements, expressed, "A warm welcome, respect, and greetings to the esteemed Prime Minister Modi, who is arriving on the revered land of Khajuraho for the bhoomipujan of the Ken-Betwa project. Bundelkhand is poised to achieve new heights of development, prosperity, and progress."

CM Yadav emphasized that Ken-Betwa represents the largest irrigation project in the nation, utilizing an underground pressurized pipe irrigation system.

The project encompasses the construction of a 77-metre-high Daudhan Dam on the Ken River within the Panna Tiger Reserve, channeling excess water to the Betwa River through a 221-km canal. It is anticipated to enhance forest ecosystems and alleviate flooding issues in Banda district of Uttar Pradesh.

The Daudhan reservoir will ensure a continuous water supply for wild animals in the Panna Tiger Reserve throughout the year, promote the forest ecosystem, and provide relief to Banda district from flood threats.

"Prime Minister Modi has taken significant steps towards fulfilling former PM Vajpayee's vision for the river linking initiative," added CM Yadav.