Bundelkhand set to witness dawn of development in 2022

The ‘Ken-Betwa river linking’ project, the first of its kind, has set high expectations for a parched Bundelkhand region with experts and citizens touting it as a new dawn for the development of the region.

The projectwill provide water to the perennially-drought hit region, and bring in prosperity. Skill development, tourism, agriculture and allied industries are the centre of attention for the government.

The project worth Rs 44,605 crore will benefit Chhatarpur, Panna, Tikamgarh, Niwari, Damoh, Sagar, Datia, Shivpuri, Vidisha and Raisen districts of Madhya Pradesh.The project is expected to irrigate 10.62 lakh hectares of land, drinking water supply to about 62 lakh people,and generate 103 MW of hydropower and 27 MW of solar power.

Another public-private partnership that would benefit Bundelkhand is the unearthing of diamonds in the region. The Bunder diamond project holds a promise to contribute more than Rs 28,000 crores to the government exchequer and economic activities of about Rs 40,000 crores in the regionbesides providing employment opportunities to the locals.

Further, the project will help develop skilling centres and provide opportunities for mid-stream and downstream diamond industries that could catapult the region into one of the top 10 diamond producing destinations globally.

But just like other major infrastructure and developmental projects, there have been counter views and debates on the impact on environment and ecology. It is a well-known fact that a planned, effective and efficient usage of natural resources for industrial and domestic purposes and adopting sustainable development practices can not only reduce the impact but also balance development and ecology.

The protestors need to think hard. Can we expect the current and future generations to continue to live in poverty and distress migration? Why should they be deprived of any fruit of progress?

Whether it is interlinking of rivers or diamond mining project, the movement for this region seems to have finally arrived and 2022 could be the sunrise that the region has been desperately waiting for.