Key Points

Protests against the Ken–Betwa river-linking project in Madhya Pradesh’s Chhatarpur district have escalated sharply in April 2026 – local resistance to displacement has now transformed into a sustained, multi-site agitation marked by symbolic and high-intensity demonstrations.

Ongoing since 2023, local resistance to the water transfer project made it to national headlines on 8 April 2026, when tribal women organised a ‘Chita Andolan’, laying on symbolic funeral pyres near the project site. The act was meant to convey that displacement would be equivalent to death. In the days that followed, similar scenes were reported across Chhatarpur, with women, some holding children, lying on mock pyres and declaring they would resist “till their last breath.”

By April 14-15, protestors had escalated their demonstrations through various forms of non-violence resistance: Jal Satyagrahas, where villagers stood in the water for hours, sometimes waist-deep, declaring that the river that once sustained them was now being used to uproot them; Mitti Satyagrahas, where residents smeared mud on their bodies and held soil from their fields, asserting their connection to the land; Aakash Satyagrahas and Chulha Bandhs, where families refused food and shelter for days; and symbolic hangings in what demonstrators described as their “final battle for life and existence.”

2026 Protests Against the Ken–Betwa Project

The current phase of protests began around February-March 2026, when local communities started mobilising against imminent displacement linked to dam construction near Dhondhan village. For nearly two months, villagers organised sit-ins, demonstrations, road blockades, and gheraos of the collector’s office.

As their demands remained unaddressed, the agitation escalated. On 5 April 2026, a group of protesters began marching towards Delhi while over 200 others led by AAP worker Amit Bhatnagar gathered inside the Panna Tiger Reserve. Forest authorities reportedly plan to take action against Bhatnagar for trespassing.

Hundreds of residents from over 40 villages have gathered at protest sites around Dhondhan, Majhgaon, Palkonha, and Sukwaha, setting up camps and halting construction activities.

Authorities have imposed prohibitory orders under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita in parts of the region, restricting movement near protest sites. Security has been tightened, especially around access points such as Bhusor Naka.

The protests are being led primarily by tribal communities, including Adivasi farmers and forest-dependent populations, with significant participation from women. Many protesters belong to villages that have existed in the region for centuries and rely on agriculture, forest produce, and river-based livelihoods.

In total, 24 villages are directly affected: eight will be submerged by the dam, while 16 are being relocated as part of the Panna Tiger Reserve expansion. Many of these communities have historically coexisted with the forest and wildlife.

See Also: Congress Flags Violations in Adani’s Dhirauli Coal Project as Unrest Erupts in Madhya Pradesh Over Deforestation

What Is the Ken–Betwa Project?

The Ken–Betwa Link Project is India’s first major river interlinking initiative, designed to transfer water from the Ken River in Madhya Pradesh to the Betwa River in Uttar Pradesh. The project aims to address chronic water scarcity in the Bundelkhand region, which spans districts across both states.

At an estimated cost of around ₹44,000 crore, the project includes construction of the Daudhan dam, a 200-km-plus canal network, and associated irrigation and power infrastructure. The government has projected multiple benefits: irrigation for over 10 lakh hectares of farmland, drinking water for nearly 62 lakh people, and generation of hydropower.

The project is expected to submerge multiple villages and affect thousands of families. Estimates indicate that more than 5,000 families in Chhatarpur and around 1,400 in Panna could be displaced due to submergence and land acquisition.

In 2023, as surveys and acquisition notices began reaching villages in Chhatarpur and Panna, residents started raising concerns over discrepancies in compensation, land valuation and acquisition, and lack of clarity in the process. Affected families filed objections and petitions against the process.

The foundation stone for the project was laid on 25 December 2024, positioning it as a flagship intervention for drought-prone regions and a precursor to a broader river-linking programme – even as repeated protests demanded better compensation and transparency.

Why Are Tribals Protesting the Ken-Betwa Project?

The most immediate concern is the loss of land, homes, and livelihoods. Tribal communities depend on farming, forest produce such as tendu leaves, and river ecosystems. Displacement threatens to sever these economic and cultural ties.

A social impact assessment had earlier noted that land acquisition would significantly reduce farm sizes, turning many into marginal farmers. Loss of forest access would further reduce income sources. Villagers fear that relocation will push them into long-term economic insecurity and migration.

Villagers have repeatedly raised concerns about compensation. While authorities have offered a ₹12.5 lakh package per family, villagers allege that payments are uneven, delayed, or insufficient. Many claim that joint families are being treated as single units, reducing compensation. Others say eligible individuals have been excluded due to cut-off criteria. There are also allegations of middlemen making illegal deductions.

Critically, protesters are demanding “land for land” and “village for village” rehabilitation instead of one-time cash payments, arguing that money alone cannot sustain their livelihoods.

Further, residents allege that Gram Sabha consent – required under the land acquisition law – was obtained through opaque or fabricated processes. Some claim consent was recorded years before they were even informed about the project.

There are also complaints about flawed land surveys, missing acquisition notices, and lack of clarity in valuation. Protesters have repeatedly demanded fresh, transparent consultations.

Experts and citizen groups have similarly criticised the process as “opaque and non-consultative,” arguing that draft legislations and project details were not adequately shared with affected communities.

Activists argue that key legal safeguards are not being properly implemented, including the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition Act, 2013, and the Forest Rights Act, 2006. Protesters allege that legal provisions are being bypassed, and forced evictions are being attempted. A 2024 Madhya Pradesh High Court ruling had also questioned the validity of “voluntary relocation” where consent is obtained under pressure.

The project has also raised serious environmental concerns. It is expected to submerge parts of the Panna Tiger Reserve, with estimates suggesting loss of over 5,500 hectares of forest land and around 10,500 hectares of wildlife habitat.

Approximately 23 lakh trees are expected to be felled, according to estimates cited by official committees. Environmentalists argue that such large-scale deforestation is unjustifiable, especially in the context of climate change.

There are even questions about the project’s core premise – that the Ken river has surplus water. Experts have pointed out that both Ken and Betwa basins experience similar rainfall patterns, making the “surplus-to-deficit” logic questionable.

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