Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): On the birth anniversary of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate Ken-Betwa river link project. The PM will reach Khajuraho and will inaugurate the project, officials said here on Monday.

On December 25, the project will be inaugurated. Sources claimed that Daudhan dam which will be constructed on bordering area of Chhatarpur and Panna and may be rechristened as ‘Atal Sagar Dam’.

Ken-Betwa Link National Project is the largest irrigation project in the country adopting underground pressurised pipe irrigation system. The project is being constructed on Ken river in Chhatarpur and Panna districts of the state.

Under the project, 2,853 million cubic metres of water will be stored in the dam by constructing 77 metre high and 2.13 kilometre long Daudhan Dam and 2 tunnels (upper level 1.9 km and lower level 1.1 km) on river Ken in Panna Tiger Reserve.

Surplus water of Ken will be transferred to Betwa river through a 221-km long link canal from Daudhan dam on Ken river, providing irrigation and drinking water facilities to both the states.

Through the project, 8.11 lakh hectares of land in 2k villages of 10 districts of Madhya Pradesh namely Panna, Damoh, Chhatarpur, Tikamgarh, Niwari, Sagar, Raisen, Vidisha, Shivpuri and Datia will be irrigated through pressurised micro irrigation system. Around 7 lakh farmer families will be benefited by this project.