Interlinking of rivers to hit agri output, says Speaker

Punjab Assembly Speaker Kultar Singh Sandhwan on Thursday called for a comprehensive review of the Centre’s river interlinking initiative, saying it has the potential to adversely impact agriculture productivity.

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Referring to the Ken-Betwa river project, he said though the Centre has stated that it is being initiated to redistribute surplus water to drought-prone regions, scientific research indicates such interventions could significantly alter natural hydrological systems.

“Such large-scale hydrological modifications may disrupt established monsoon patterns, potentially endangering agricultural sustainability and affecting multiple sectors nationwide,” he added.

Aimed at bringing surplus water of Ken River in Madhya Pradesh to the water-deficit Betwa river basin in Uttar Pradesh, the foundation of the project was laid by PM Narendra Modi on December 25.