From correspondents in Delhi, India, 10:03 PM IST

The inter-linking of Ken and Betwa rivers between Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh will affect the Panna tiger reserve, Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh said Wednesday.

'I was shocked to know that the inter-linking of Ken and Betwa rivers, which is the only inter-linking of river project that has progressed in the last six to seven years, will affect the Panna tiger reserve,' he told reporters.

According to experts, the river inter-linking project passing through tiger reserve will partially submerge it thus affecting the biodiversity.

The minister said he has also rejected a coal mining project near Tadoba Tiger Reserve in Maharashtra.

'There are many threats that the tiger reserves face. But we are not going to simply compromise ecology security in the name of development,' he said.

(Staff Writer, © IANS)