The Ken Betwa Link Project — which aims at transferring water from the Ken river to the Betwa river — was conceived in 1995. On December 25, 2024, Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone of the project at Madhya Pradesh's Khajuraho.
The project is to be implemented across Bundelkhand region which covers 13 districts of Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh.
The project has been criticised on ecological grounds with environmentalists highlighting the submergence of areas that would not only affect human habitation but also wildlife populations.
It will result in massive deforestation especially at Panna Tiger Reserve which is expected to threaten dozens of flora and fauna species.
Further downstream, the Daudham dam which is part of the project, will affect Gharial populations at Ken Gharial Sanctuary as well as the vulture nesting sites in the area.