Union water resources minister Uma Bharti on Tuesday threatened to go on strike over delay in clearance to the government’s pet Ken-Betwa river-linking project and blamed some environmentalists on the
Union water resources minister Uma Bharti on Tuesday threatened to go on strike over delay in clearance to the government’s pet Ken-Betwa river-linking project and blamed some environmentalists on the environment ministry’s expert committee panel for committing “national crime” by depriving 70 lakh people of their livelihood. “I consider causing delay to the project as national crime. I am not saying it’s treason, but it indeed is a national crime. Because you are denying livelihood for 70 lakh people,” Ms Bharti said.
The Ken-Betwa river linking project is the first of the Centre’s National River Linking Project, which when completed will have 30 river links and a canal network of 15,000 km. This project, which is aimed at providing water to parched Bundelkhand in Uttar Pradesh by linking Ken in Madhya Pradesh and Betwa in UP, was to take off in December, but ran into trouble due to wildlife clearance issues of adverse affects to Tiger Reserve and breeding of vultures.
An agitated Ms Bharti pointed fingers at “those sitting in air condition chambers” of the environment ministry in Delhi for objecting to the project even as those, who are going to be affected by it are welcoming it. She clarified that she has “no difference with the environment ministry or its minister Prakash Javadekar”, but with private environmentalists, who are members in the committee.”
