The
Betwa is a river in
Northern IndiaNorth India, known natively as Uttar Bhārat or Shumālī Hindustān , is a loosely defined region in the northern part of India. The exact meaning of the term varies by usage...
, and a
tributaryA tributary or affluent is a stream or river that flows into a main stem river or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean...
of the
YamunaThe Yamuna is the largest tributary river of the Ganges in northern India...
. Also known as the Vetravati, the Betwa rises in the
Vindhya RangeThe Vindhya Range is a range of older rounded mountains and hills in the west-central Indian subcontinent, which geographically separates the Indian subcontinent into northern India and Southern India.- Introduction :...
just north of
HoshangabadHoshangabad is a city and a municipality in Hoshangabad district in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. It is a city in the central india region, located on the south bank of the Narmada River, and is the administrative center of Hoshangabad District.-History:mohammed bharmal & abdeali batawalaThe...
in
Madhya PradeshMadhya Pradesh , often called the Heart of India, is a state in central India. Its capital is Bhopal and Indore is the largest city....
and flows north-east through Madhya Pradesh and flow through
OrchhaOrchha is a town in Tikamgarh district of Madhya Pradesh state, India. The town was established by Maharaja Rudra Pratap Singh in 1501, as the seat of an eponymous former princely state of central India, in the Bundelkhand region. Orchha lies on the Betwa River , 80 km from Tikamgarh &...
to
Uttar PradeshUttar Pradesh abbreviation U.P. , is a state located in the northern part of India. With a population of over 200 million people, it is India's most populous state, as well as the world's most populous sub-national entity...
. Nearly one-half of its course, which is not navigable, runs over the Malwa Plateau before it breaks into the upland. A tributary of the Yamuna River, the confluence of the Betwa and the Yamuna Rivers takes place in the
HamirpurHamirpur is a city and a municipal board in Hamirpur district in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. It is the administrative headquarters of Hamirpur District.-Geography:...
town in Uttar Pradesh, in the vicinity of
OrchhaOrchha is a town in Tikamgarh district of Madhya Pradesh state, India. The town was established by Maharaja Rudra Pratap Singh in 1501, as the seat of an eponymous former princely state of central India, in the Bundelkhand region. Orchha lies on the Betwa River , 80 km from Tikamgarh &...
.
History
In Sanskrit 'Betwa' is 'Vetravati' which means ‘containing reeds'. This river is mentioned in the epic
MahabharataThe Mahabharata is one of the two major Sanskrit epics of ancient India and Nepal, the other being the Ramayana. The epic is part of itihasa....
along with the
CharmanwatiCharmanwati alias Charmanvati, was a river mentioned in the epic Mahabharata. It is identified as the modern day Chambal river, a tributary of Ganges. This river was one of the destinations of the people who migrated from river Saraswati, as it dried up, due to its proximity...
river. Both are tributaries of Yamuna. Vetravati was also known as Shuktimati. The capital of
Chedi KingdomChedi kingdom was one among the many kingdoms ruled during early periods by Paurava kings and later by Yaduvanshi Rajput kings in the central and western India. It falls roughly in the Bundelkhand division of Madhya Pradesh regions to the south of river Yamuna and along river Betwa or Vetravati...
was on the banks of this river.
In accordance with an inter-state agreement between the states of Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh in 1973, Betwa River Board (BRB) was constituted under the Betwa River Board Act, 1976. The Union Minister of
Ministry of Water ResourcesThe Ministry of Water Resources, a branch of the Government of India, is the apex body for formulation and administration of the rules and regulations and laws relating to the development and regulation of the water resources in India. At present, head of the ministry is the Cabinet Minister Pawan...
is the Chairman of the Board and the Union Minister of Power, Union Minister of State for Water Resources, Chief Ministers and Ministers in-charge of Finance, Irrigation and Power of Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh are its Members.
Future
The Betwa River is being linked with the
Ken RiverThe Ken River is one the major rivers of the Bundelkhand region of central India, and flows through two states, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh...
as a part of the river linking project in Madhya Pradesh. Another noteworthy project on the Betwa River is the construction of the
Matatila DamThe Matatila Dam, is a dam in India that was built in 1958 on the Betwa River. Situated 93 km away from Deogarh, this earthen dam is 35 m high. The catchment area is around 20 km2 with a maximum storage capacity of 1132 million cubic metres. Nestled between a large numbers of small hills, this...
, an undertaking between the states of Madhya Pradesh and
Uttar PradeshUttar Pradesh abbreviation U.P. , is a state located in the northern part of India. With a population of over 200 million people, it is India's most populous state, as well as the world's most populous sub-national entity...
. The region is important for migratory waterbirds.
External links