HPAS 2023 Prelims Question 12

HPAS Prelims Question & Notes

Consider the following statements:

Show Answer & Explanation

Correct Answer: (B)

Explanation:

Statement 1 (Correct): The Ken River flows through the Panna Tiger Reserve in Madhya Pradesh. This is a key point of discussion regarding the Ken-Betwa link project.
Statement 2 (Incorrect): The Ken-Betwa Link is a river inter-linking project, not a road network. It’s the first project under the National Perspective Plan for interlinking rivers.
Statement 3 (Incorrect): Both the Ken and Betwa rivers are tributaries of the Yamuna River, not the Chambal. The Chambal is also a tributary of the Yamuna.
Statement 4 (Correct): The Matatila Dam is a major irrigation project built on the Betwa River on the border of UP and MP.

📚 Additional Info: Ken-Betwa Link Project

Type: River Inter-linking Project.
Significance: It is the first project to be implemented under the National Perspective Plan (NPP) for the interlinking of rivers.
Purpose: To transfer surplus water from the Ken River basin (in MP) to the water-deficit Betwa River basin (in UP & MP).
Region: Aims to provide water for irrigation, drinking, and power to the arid Bundelkhand region.

Yamuna River: The main river in this system.
Tributaries of Yamuna (from West to East):
- Chambal (joins near Etawah, UP)
- Sind
- Betwa (joins near Hamirpur, UP)
- Ken (joins near Banda, UP)
Therefore, Ken, Betwa, and Chambal are all “co-tributaries” of the Yamuna, but they do not flow into each other.

The Core Issue: The project involves the construction of the Daudhan Dam (part of KBLP) which will submerge a significant area of the core habitat of the Panna Tiger Reserve.
Impact: This is the primary environmental concern and point of controversy for the project, as it impacts tiger, gharial, and vulture habitats.

River: Betwa River.
Location: Lalitpur District, Uttar Pradesh (on the border with MP).
Purpose: A joint irrigation and power project between Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh.