NATIONAL COMMITTEE of All-India Kisan Mazdoor Sabha (AIKMS) has demanded cancellation of the Ken-Betwa river linking project being constructed at a cost of above Rs 4 crore, as this will ruin the economy of lakhs of people living in the entire area along the Jamuna river downstream.
In a Press release, Dr Ashish Mital, national secretary AIKMS stated that the World Bank is pushing this project to fulfill its aim of privatising water resources, selling rivers, displacing farmers and making poor people of India pay for the water they use.
AIKMS demanded planning of smaller projects of irrigation and drinking water as per needs of the locals as they neither cause big displacement nor result in devastation of the downstream.
In addition the AIKMS has demanded projects for building of agricultural land and small watershed development in the entire area. This will enhance the productivity of land, raise ground water level and help in flood control.
In a detailed report showing the ill-effects of the project prepared by the UP Committee of AIKMS and released to the Press today, it has been concluded that the project is being built in an area which is mainly rain fed (90 per cent source is rain). Blocking this heavy drainage of water during rains would completely ruin sand mining, irrigation facility and dependent agriculture and fishing into the Yamuna basin for hundreds of kilometres downstream which will adversely affect several lakh people, a much larger population than the project plans to benefit.
The report states that coarse sand is drained from Ken and Betwa rivers only during massive water flow during heavy rains. Deposit of coarse sand in Yamuna basin provides for mining in Yamuna resulting in a deep river bed — (up to 40 feet at places) which allows several lift pump irrigation projects in trans-Yamuna area in Allahabad, Kaushambi, Banda, Karvi etc.
{{/usCountry}}The report states that coarse sand is drained from Ken and Betwa rivers only during massive water flow during heavy rains. Deposit of coarse sand in Yamuna basin provides for mining in Yamuna resulting in a deep river bed — (up to 40 feet at places) which allows several lift pump irrigation projects in trans-Yamuna area in Allahabad, Kaushambi, Banda, Karvi etc.
{{/usCountry}}Blockade of this sand will result in deposition of fine sand and mud in the Yamuna river, which will become shallow like the Ganga. This will prevent the operation of lift irrigation projects in the non-rainy season and lead to widespread flooding during rains, the report added.