Betwa basin. The idea was first mooted in 1982 but the real push came during the Vajpayee government, which planned to connect 14 Himalayan and 16 peninsular rivers by 30 canals and 3,000 reservoirs to irrigate 87 million hectares of land and produce 34 gigawatt of hydroelectricity. A MoU was signed in 2005 between the Centre and the two states to start work on the project. The Ken-Betwa link is now Union water resources minister and Jhansi MP Uma Bharti’s dream project. According to the National Water Development Agency, the project will provide irrigation, domestic and industrial water supply and power to Chhatarpur, Panna and Tikamgarh (MP) and Mahoba, Jhansi and Banda (UP). These six districts and seven others in the two states form the Bundelkhand region, whichlinking programme will be a big election promise. On October 24, Prime Minister Narendra Modi started the campaign in Banda’s neighbouring Mahoba district where he complimented Uma Bharti for her interest in the project and said it will end water crisis in the region. On October 24, Prime Minister Narendra Modi started the campaign in Banda’s neighbouring Mahoba district where he complimented Uma Bharti for her interest in the project and said it will end water crisis in the region.

Ashish Sagar, a Banda-based activist, alleges that the BJP is pushing for the link to be completed to gain votes in the Jhansi area. (Vipin Kumar / Hindustan Times)