Ken River

The River Ken flows through two states namely Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh in India. It is one of the major rivers of Bundelkhand region of central India and is a tributary of the river Yamuna.

Course

River Ken originates near a village called Ahirgawan which is on the north-west slopes of Kaimur Range in the Jabalpur district. The river travels a distance of 427 km before it merges with the Yamuna at Chilla village, near Fatehpur in Uttar Pradesh.

The river Ken has an overall drainage basin of 28,058km sq. and out of this 12,620 km sq.  belongs  to the river Sonar which is its largest tributary, whose basin completely lies in the state of Madhya Pradesh and along its 427 km course the river receives water from its own tributaries- Bawas, Kaith, Dewar and Baink on its left bank and Bearma and Kopra on the right side of the bank.

Out of 427 kilometers the river flows for 292 kilometers in Madhya Pradesh, 84 kilometers in Uttar Pradesh and 51 kilometers just forms the boundary between two states. The river crossing the Bijawar-Panna hills cut a 60 km long and 150-180 meter deep gorge. There are several streams that join river Ken in this gorge which helps in the creation of waterfalls.

Tributaries

The River Ken has many tributaries namely the Sonar River is its largest tributary, rivers like Bawas, Dewar, Baink, and Kaith on its left bank, while the tributaries on the right include Bearma and Kopra. The Ken valley also separates the Rewa Plateau from the Satna Plateau.

Present Scenario

The river has been contaminated due to over population in the state of Madhya Pradesh as well as Uttar Pradesh, as population has increased it has led to urbanization, which has further led to the development of many projects like that of building bridges, Thermal power projects etc. A well known construction at the confluence of the river Ken and River Simiri is Gangau Dam. There has also been a growth in factories and industries. These factories give out wastes in the form of oil, remains of raw material, fly ash and other such garbage. This gets mingled with the water body and contaminates the water making it completely unfit for domestic purposes like that of cooking, bathing, washing, agriculture and drinking. Yet the people have no other choice and have to use this water for all purposes.

Views

The river is however a place of tourist attraction. The Raneh Falls on river Ken and Ken Ghariyal Sanctuary are spots of tourist attraction. The Ken River passes through the Panna National Park, another center of tourist attraction. The river is also famous for its rare Sajhar or Dendritic Agate stone. The city of Banda is located on the banks of the River Ken.

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