Tribals' protest against Ken-Betwa project in MP ends as cops clear agitation site
A 15-day-long protest against the Ken-Betwa Link Project and other development works in Madhya Pradesh's Chhatarpur district came to an end on Sunday after police
A 15-day-long protest against the Ken-Betwa Link Project and other development works in Madhya Pradesh's Chhatarpur district came to an end on Sunday after police removed protesters from the agitation site and transported them back to their villages. While some demonstrators claimed that movement leader Amit Bhatnagar had been detained, the police denied making any arrests. The protest, spearheaded largely by tribal women, had been underway on the banks of the Barana river near Kupi village since July 3. Bhatnagar, who led the agitation, had been observing an indefinite hunger strike for the past 11 days. Read Full Story The protesters opposed the Ken-Betwa river-linking project along with other development initiatives in the region. During the agitation, they staged several forms of symbolic protest, including jal satyagraha, chita satyagraha and faansi satyagraha. Bhatnagar demanded action over alleged irregularities in the execution of the project and sought adherence to environmental norms and legal provisions.
The Ken-Betwa Link Project, India's first river-linking initiative under the Perspective Plan, is designed to transfer surplus water from the Ken river to the Betwa river. The project aims to improve irrigation and provide drinking water in the drought-prone Bundelkhand region spanning Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh. Protest leader Divya Ahirwar alleged that a large police contingent arrived at the site around 5 am on Sunday and took Bhatnagar and other protesters into custody before he could address the media on what she described as an alleged Rs 400 crore corruption in the project, according to news agency PTI. She said the agitation had sought lawful implementation of the project while safeguarding constitutional rights of affected communities. Ahirwar further alleged that the administration would be responsible if any harm came to Bhatnagar or other protesters and appealed to the public to raise their voice against corruption.
Additional Superintendent of Police Aditya Patle, however, rejected claims of any arrests or detentions. Speaking to PTI, he said protesters were transported in buses to their respective villages. Those from Panna district were taken back there, while residents of Chhatarpur and nearby areas were dropped at their home villages. Over the past two weeks, the protest had drawn attention to allegations of irregularities in land acquisition, rehabilitation, environmental safeguards and overall implementation of the project. The administration has denied these allegations, maintaining that the project is being executed in accordance with legal provisions. Officials have also described the Ken-Betwa Link Project as a nationally significant initiative that will boost irrigation, improve drinking water availability and contribute to the overall development of the Bundelkhand region. The protesters, however, maintained that commitments made by the administration in April had not been honoured.
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