Tribals Hold Water Satyagraha Against Ken-Betwa Project

Tribals Allege Inadequate Rehabilitation

The tribal protestors stood in the water as part of the protest against land acquisition by the Ken-Betwa River Linking Project, and expressed their concern regarding losing their home, agricultural land and traditional livelihoods, urging that their land should not be acquired.

The protesters said that their land had been taken over without proper compensation and hundreds of families who have been displaced have no land to grow food, no livelihood and no culture. The protestors further alleged that there had been illegal evictions, false police cases were being filed against them and many names have been removed from rehabilitation lists.

Bhatnagar Questions Rehabilitation Claims And Lists

The protest has been launched by Jai Kisan Organisation leader Amit Bhatnagar, who is also on an indefinite fast. Bhatnagar stated that families affected not only by Ken-Betwa project, but Majhgaon & Runjh irrigation projects were denied justice in spite of government promises.

Bhatnagar refutes the claims made by authorities that 638 hitherto ignored villages have been added to the list of PAPs (Project Affected Persons) from Chhatarpur, and stated that villages like Mainari are still excluded from the list of names and lists should be put up in every affected village.

PM Modi Launched Ken-Betwa Project

Prime Minister Narendra Modi flagged off the Ken-Betwa link project (KBLP) on December 25, 2024. The first out of 30 interlinking river projects, under a National Perspective Plan (NPP), which plans to divert water from the Ken river basin in Madhya Pradesh to the Betwa river basin runs through Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh Bundelkhand region. 

Many villagers across several villages in Panna and Chhatarpur district protested that they feared displacement and demanded improved compensation and rehabilitation.

Earlier Protests Demanded Better Compensation

Last April the tribe protested by lying on symbolic funeral pyres floating over the water; they suspended the protest and began talks with authorities in the Chhatarpur and Panna districts. 

The tribe claims that a better compensation should be paid and compensation raised from Rs 12.5 lakhs to Rs 25 lakhs and hundreds of families are still omitted from the Ken-Betwa project's rehabilitation as well as that of the irrigation projects Majhgaon and Runjh.