Prime Minister Narendra Modi will lay the foundation stone for the Ken-Betwa river linking project on December 25, marking the first project under India’s national river interlinking policy. The project, which will cost Rs 44,605 crore, will provide drinking water to 44 lakh people in Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh.

Additionally, the project will benefit 7.18 lakh farmer families and generate 103 MW of hydropower and 27 MW of solar energy. PM Modi’s initiative aims to fulfill the vision of former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee for river linking in India, facilitating water supply for irrigation and industrial use.