3 Dec 2020


An expert panel of India’s environment ministry has deferred environment clearance for the Lower Orr Dam, which is part of the Ken-Betwa river interlinking project, and sought fresh data to decide whether a new public hearing is expected for the project or not.

Identified as a national project, it is part of the Ken-Betwa river interlinking project and envisages construction of a 45 metre high and 2,218-metre long dam across Orr river near village Didauni in Madhya Pradesh to provide irrigation facility to 90,000 hectares of area.

The project’s estimated cost is about Rs 30.65 billion and requires 3,730 hectares of land, of which 968.24 hectares is forest land. It is expected to submerge about 2,723.70 hectare area including seven fully affected villages and five villages partially. It was considered for clearance in the meeting of the expert appraisal committee (EAC) for river valley and hydroelectric projects on October 29, 2020.

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