Tribal families in Madhya Pradesh's Chhatarpur district have escalated their agitation against the Ken-Betwa river-linking project.
Demonstrating anger and dissent, an activist Amit Bhatnagar is leading an indefinite hunger strike which now stretched into its 12th day, as thousands mount protests over displacement and inadequate rehabilitation for 15 days.
Protests Take Several Forms
Communities in the area have turned to a range of symbolic demonstrations, drawing on Gandhian traditions of civil resistance.
Groups have floated funeral beds on the Barana river to signify the death of their livelihoods, while others have hung nooses around their necks in a "hanging satyagraha" beneath a bridge at the same site.
Villagers say repeated assurances, including commitments made in April, have gone unmet, and have alleged wrongful police cases and forced evictions in the run-up to the protests.
What The Project Involves
The Ken-Betwa Link Project, India's first major river interlinking initiative, aims to transfer water from the Ken river basin to the Betwa basin through underground pipelines, at an estimated cost of over Rs 44,000 crore.
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Once complete, authorities say it will irrigate over 10 lakh hectares of farmland, supply drinking water to roughly 62 lakh people, and generate 130 MW of power in the drought-prone Bundelkhand region, which spans parts of Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh.
Why Families Are Objecting
Officials estimate more than 50,000 people across nearly two dozen villages will be affected, either through direct displacement or loss of forest-based livelihoods, NDTV reported. The Panna forests, home to dozens of tigers, are also expected to be impacted.
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Activists working with affected communities say their opposition is not to the project itself, but to the absence of guaranteed rehabilitation, including housing, education, healthcare and electricity, as promised under the Constitution.
Administration's Response
District Collector Parth Jaiswal has maintained that relief and rehabilitation commitments have been fulfilled, as per NDTV.
The issue has also drawn political attention, with opposition legislator Umang Singhar meeting displaced families and pledging to raise the matter when the state assembly reconvenes on July 20.
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