Interlinking of Ken, Betwa rivers will 'destroy' Panna Tiger Reserve, says Congress leader Jairam Ramesh

New Delhi: Congress leader Jairam Ramesh on Monday expressed fear that the interlinking of Ken and Betwa rivers will destroy the Panna Tiger Reserve in Madhya Pradesh. An agreement to implement the Ken-Betwa river link project was signed on Monday by the Jal Shakti Ministry and the governments of Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh, the first major project under the National River Linking Project (NRLP). The former environment minister said he had suggested alternatives in this regard 10 years ago but those were ignored. “The CMs of UP and MP will sign a pact today to link the Ken and Betwa rivers. This will all but destroy the Panna Tiger Reserve in MP, a success story in translocation and revival. I had suggested alternatives 10 years ago but alas…,” he said on Twitter. The pact to link the rivers Ken and Betwa would be done in the presence of the prime minister during the launch of the “Jal Shakti Abhiyan: Catch the Rain” campaign on World Water Day on Monday.