Betwa River

The Betwa or Betravati is a tributary of the Yamuna River in Northern India. The Betwa, also known as the Vetravati, rises in the Vindhya Range just north of Hoshangabad in Madhya Pradesh and flows north-east through Madhya Pradesh and Orchha before reaching Uttar Pradesh. The Malwa Plateau runs through nearly half of its route, which is not navigable.

 

Its basin stretches from 77° to 81° east longitude and 23°8' to 26°0' north latitude. The Betwa River rises to a height of 470 metres in Madhya Pradesh's Bhopal District. The river joins the Yamuna River near Hamirpur after travelling 590 kilometres and reaching an elevation of 106.68 metres. The Betwa River's total catchment area is 46,580 square kilometres, with 31,971 square kilometres (68.64 per cent) in Madhya Pradesh and 14,609 square kilometres (31.36 per cent) in Uttar Pradesh. The basin is shaped like a saucer, with sandstone hills surrounding it. The river has 14 major tributaries, 11 of which are entirely in Madhya Pradesh and three of which are partially in both Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh.

 

The Betwa River has two major tributaries: the Halali and Dhasan Rivers. With a length of 180.32 kilometres, the Halali is the longest tributary. Rainfall varies throughout the basin, ranging from 100 cm to 140 cm in the upper reaches and 80 cm to 100 cm in the lower reaches. In the Betwa basin, the average annual rainfall is 110 cm.

 

The confluence of the Betwa and Yamuna rivers is located near Orchha in Uttar Pradesh's Hamirpur district. In honour of the river, the Indian Navy named one of its frigates INS Betwa.

 

 

Vetravati is Vetravati in Sanskrit. This river, along with the Charmanwati, is mentioned in the Mahabharata epic. Both are Yamuna tributaries. Shuktimati was another name for Vetravati. The Chedi Kingdom's capital was located on the banks of this river. The river is 590 kilometres long from its source to its confluence with the Yamuna, with 232 kilometres in Madhya Pradesh and the remaining 358 kilometres in Uttar Pradesh. The Betwa River Board (BRB) was established in 1976 by an inter-state agreement signed in 1973 between the states of Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh. Its members include the Chairman of the Board, the Union Minister of Water Resources, 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 of Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh.

 

The Betwa River is being linked to the Ken River as part of a Madhya Pradesh river linking project. The Ken-Betwa interlinking of rivers (ILR) project has since received approval from the National Board for Wildlife (NBWL). The construction of the Matatila Dam, a joint venture between the states of Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh, is another notable Betwa River project. Migratory waterbirds use the area extensively. An ambitious plan to connect Ken and Betwarivers has devolved into a one-of-a-kind man-animal conflict. The proposed Daudhan dam and the 230-kilometre canal, which will transfer surplus water from the Uttar Pradesh section of the Ken to the Betwa in Madhya Pradesh, are said to be critical for irrigating nearly 7,00,000 hectares in drought-stricken Bundelkhand, according to project supporters led by the Union Water Ministry.