Landscape Management Plan For Greater Panna Landscape

In Context

• Recently, as part of the Ken-Betwa Link Project (KBLP), a comprehensive Integrated Landscape Management Plan (ILMP) has been prepared for the conservation of wildlife and biodiversity in the Panna Tiger Reserve (PTR) & surrounding areas.

About 

• The plan will help to holistically consolidate the landscape for biodiversity conservation and human well-being, especially in forest-dependent communities. 
• Panna Tiger Reserve:
  • It is a national park located in Panna and Chhatarpur districts of Madhya Pradesh in India.
  • It was declared in 1994 as the twenty-second Tiger reserve of India and the fifth in Madhya Pradesh.
  • Panna was given the Award of Excellence in 2007 as the best maintained national park of India by the Ministry of Tourism of India.
  • In 2020, UNESCO included Panna National Park of Madhya Pradesh under its list of Biosphere reserves
  • Among the animals found here are the tiger, leopard, chital, chinkara, nilgai, sambhar and sloth bear.

Ken Betwa Link Project

• About: 
  • It is the first interlinking of rivers project under National Perspective Plan (NPP) taken for implementation in Bundelkhand region, which faces recurrent drought situation. 
  • Under this, the transfer of excess water from the River Ken to the Betwa basin through the use of a concrete canal is proposed.
• Aim: 
  • providing water security in the Bundelkhand 
  • also ensuring the overall conservation of the region and specially for landscape dependent species such as tiger, vulture and gharial. 
• About Ken and Betwa Rivers:
  • Ken and Betwa rivers originate in MP and are the tributaries of Yamuna.
  • Ken meets with Yamuna in Banda district of UP and with Betwa in Hamirpur district of UP.
  • Ken River passes through Panna tiger reserve.
• Implementing Agency:
  • A Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) called Ken-Betwa Link Project Authority (KBLPA) will be set up to implement the project.
  • The National Interlinking of Rivers Authority (NIRA) has the powers to set up SPV for individual link projects.

Source:PIB