, discharge1_min = , discharge1_avg = , date=November 2019 , discharge1_max = , source1 =

Vindhya Range The Vindhya Range (also known as Vindhyachal) () is a complex, discontinuous chain of mountain ridges, hill ranges, highlands and plateau escarpments in west-central India. Technically, the Vindhyas do not form a single mountain range in the ...

, source1_location = Near Obedullaganj,

north of

Hoshangabad Hoshangabad (Hindi: ), officially Narmadapuram (), is a city in the Indian States and territories of India, state of Madhya Pradesh. It serves as the headquarters of both Hoshangabad district and Narmadapuram division. It is located in central ...

, source1_coordinates = , source1_elevation = , mouth =

Yamuna The Yamuna (; ) is the second-largest tributary river of the Ganges by discharge and the longest tributary in India. Originating from the Yamunotri Glacier at a height of about on the southwestern slopes of Bandarpunch peaks of the Low ...

, mouth_location = Hamirpur,

Uttar Pradesh Uttar Pradesh ( ; UP) is a States and union territories of India, state in North India, northern India. With over 241 million inhabitants, it is the List of states and union territories of India by population, most populated state in In ...

India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...

, mouth_coordinates = , mouth_elevation = , progression = , river_system = , basin_size = , tributaries_left = Halali, Kaliyasoth, Urwashi , tributaries_right = Bina, Dhasaan, Jamni , custom_label = , custom_data = , extra = The Betwa (

Sanskrit Sanskrit (; stem form ; nominal singular , ,) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan languages, Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in northwest South Asia after its predecessor languages had Trans-cultural ...

: वेत्रावती) is a river in central and

northern India North India is a geographical region, loosely defined as a cultural region comprising the northern part of India (or historically, the Indian subcontinent) wherein Indo-Aryans (speaking Indo-Aryan languages) form the prominent majority populati ...

, and a

tributary A tributary, or an ''affluent'', is a stream or river that flows into a larger stream (''main stem'' or ''"parent"''), river, or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean. Tributaries, and the main stem river into which they ...

of the

. It rises in the

(Raisen) just north of Hoshangabad (Narmadapuram) in

Madhya Pradesh Madhya Pradesh (; ; ) is a state in central India. Its capital is Bhopal and the largest city is Indore, Indore. Other major cities includes Gwalior, Jabalpur, and Sagar, Madhya Pradesh, Sagar. Madhya Pradesh is the List of states and union te ...

and flows northeast through

before entering

after flowing through Orchha. Nearly half of its course, which is not navigable, runs over the Malwa Plateau. The confluence of the Yamuna and the Betwa rivers is in Hamirpur district in

, where

flows northward and Betwa approaches from south of Hamirpur. The

Indian Navy The Indian Navy (IN) (ISO 15919, ISO: ) is the Navy, maritime and Amphibious warfare, amphibious branch of the Indian Armed Forces. The President of India is the Supreme Commander of the Indian Navy. The Chief of the Naval Staff (India), Chief ...

named one of its frigates INS ''Betwa'' in honour of the river.

History

In Sanskrit, "Betwa" is ''Vetravati''. This river is mentioned in the epic

Mahabharata The ''Mahābhārata'' ( ; , , ) is one of the two major Sanskrit Indian epic poetry, epics of ancient India revered as Smriti texts in Hinduism, the other being the ''Ramayana, Rāmāyaṇa''. It narrates the events and aftermath of the Kuru ...

along with the Charmanwati river. Both are The tributaries of Yamuna. Vetravati was also known as Shuktimati. The capital of the

Chedi Kingdom Chedi () was a realm, kingdom which fell roughly in the Bundelkhand division of Madhya Pradesh regions to the south of river Yamuna along the river Ken River, Ken. Its capital city was called Suktimati in Sanskrit. According to the Mahabharat ...

was on the banks of this river. The length of the river from its origin to its confluence with Yamuna is , out of which lies in Madhya Pradesh and the balance of in Uttar Pradesh. By an interstate agreement between the states of Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh in 1973, the Betwa River Board (BRB) was constituted under the Betwa River Board Act, 1976. The Union Minister of the Ministry of Water Resources, the Chairman of the Board, the Union Minister of Power, the Union Minister of State for Water Resources, and the chief ministers and ministers in charge of finance, irrigation, and power in Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh are its members.

Ken-Betwa project

The Ken-Betwa River Linking Project is a large-scale interlinking initiative aimed at transferring surplus water from the

Ken River The Ken River is one of the major rivers in the Bundelkhand region of central India and flows through the states of Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh. It is a tributary of the Yamuna. Course The Ken River originates near the village Ahirgawan ...

in Madhya Pradesh to the Betwa River in Uttar Pradesh. The project involves the construction of the Daudhan Dam, a 2.5 km canal, and other infrastructure. The government asserts that the project will help irrigate in drought-stricken

Bundelkhand Bundelkhand (, ) is a geographical and cultural region and a proposed state and also a mountain range in central and North India. It corresponds to the Post-Vedic Chedi kingdom. The hilly region is now divided between the states of Uttar Prad ...

, provide drinking water to 6.2 million people, and generate 130 MW of

hydropower Hydropower (from Ancient Greek -, "water"), also known as water power or water energy, is the use of falling or fast-running water to Electricity generation, produce electricity or to power machines. This is achieved by energy transformation, ...

and

solar energy Solar energy is the radiant energy from the Sun's sunlight, light and heat, which can be harnessed using a range of technologies such as solar electricity, solar thermal energy (including solar water heating) and solar architecture. It is a ...

once completed in 2030. The estimated cost of the project is ₹440 billion ($5.06 billion).

Environmental Concerns

The project has been the subject of environmental criticism, particularly regarding its impact on the Panna Tiger Reserve. Environmentalists warn that the project will submerge nearly 98 sq km of the 543 sq km sanctuary, threatening tiger conservation efforts that successfully reintroduced the species after local extinction in 2009. Concerns have also been raised about the impact on vultures, whose nesting sites may be disturbed by the dam’s construction. A 2019 expert panel appointed by the

Supreme Court of India The Supreme Court of India is the supreme judiciary of India, judicial authority and the supreme court, highest court of the Republic of India. It is the final Appellate court, court of appeal for all civil and criminal cases in India. It also ...

questioned the project’s economic feasibility and environmental impact, recommending alternative irrigation methods. A 2023 study suggested that river-linking projects could worsen water stress rather than alleviate it. Critics also argue that the government has based its water availability estimates on outdated 2003 data without independent verification. Government officials defend the project, stating that it has received all necessary environmental clearances and that additional land has been allocated to offset the loss of tiger habitats.

Displacement and Protests

The project will submerge 10 villages and displace 11 more, affecting over 7,000 families, primarily from Gond and Kol indigenous communities. Residents have staged protests, fearing loss of homes and livelihoods. However, authorities claim that about 90% of affected residents have accepted compensation offers, and efforts are ongoing to identify alternative land for resettlement.

Dams

* Rajghat Dam * Matatila Dam *

Parichha Dam Parichha Dam, built on the Betwa River near Parichha town, which is about 25 km from Jhansi on the Jhansi-Kanpur National Highway No. 25. Its reservoir is used by the Parichha Thermal Power Station for electricity generation. The reservoi ...

* Dhurwara Dam * Halali Dam * Sukma Dukma Dam

References

External links

Betwa River

,

Business Line ''Business Line'', known as ''The Hindu Business Line'', is an Indian business newspaper published by Kasturi & Sons, the publishers of the newspaper ''The Hindu'' headquartered in Chennai Chennai, also known as Madras (List of renamed ...

* * {{Authority control Rivers in Buddhism Rivers of Madhya Pradesh Rivers of Uttar Pradesh Tributaries of the Yamuna River