Ken Betwa project: 15-day protest ends after MP police clear demonstration site; here's why tribals were protesting

The Madhya Pradesh Police on Sunday ended a 15-day protest against the Ken-Betwa Link and other development projects after clearing the agitation site and sending protesters back to their villages.

Some villagers alleged that movement leader Amit Bhatnagar was detained, while the police denied making any arrests, news agency PTI reported.

Here's what happened

On Sunday, protest leader Divya Ahirwar alleged that a large contingent of police personnel arrived at the demonstration site around 5 am and detained the movement's leader along with several protesters before he could address the media on what she described as an alleged ₹400 crore corruption scandal linked to the project.

However, a police official noted that the protesters were staging the demonstrations beneath an under-construction bridge and in the river, where rising water levels posed a grave safety risk.

The official added that Bhatnagar was hospitalised because he had been on a prolonged hunger strike, adding that his condition was worsening.

Citing Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP) Aditya Patle, PTI reported that demonstrators were taken to their native villages in buses. Those from Panna district were sent there, while those from Chhatarpur and nearby areas were dropped off at their respective villages. The official denied that any protester was arrested or detained.

Patle also argued that all protesters were residents of Panna district and should have, in case of a grievance, staged the demonstration in the district, adding that they had no connection with the site where they were protesting.

Why are tribals protesting against the Ken-Betwa project?

Ahirwar said the protesters had been demanding that the administration implement the project in accordance with the law while safeguarding the constitutional rights of those affected.

Tribal women in Madhya Pradesh's Chhatarpur district have been protesting for the past two weeks on the banks of the Barana River near Kupi village. During the protest, demonstrators observed a jal satyagraha, a chita (funeral pyre) satyagraha, and a symbolic faansi satyagraha. The movement was spearheaded by Bhatnagar, who has been on an indefinite hunger strike for 11 days and has demanded action on the alleged irregularities in the project's implementation and sought compliance with environmental and legal provisions.

The Ken-Betwa Link project, which is India's first river interlinking project under the National Perspective Plan, aims to transfer surplus water from the Ken to the Betwa River to provide irrigation and drinking facilities in the drought-prone Bundelkhand region of Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh.

The protest, led largely by tribal women, was launched on 3 July on the banks of the Barana River near Kupi village, and opposed the Ken-Betwa river-linking project, along with other development works.

The Ken-Betwa Link Project has faced strong opposition from sections of affected families and environmental groups over concerns about displacement, rehabilitation, and its potential impact on forests and wildlife, including areas within the Panna Tiger Reserve.

The agitation drew attention as the protesters alleged violations related to land acquisition, rehabilitation, environmental safeguards, and project implementation. However, the administration has rejected all the allegations and maintained that the development project is in accordance with the law. The administration also noted that the Ken-Betwa Link Project is of national importance and will improve irrigation, drinking water supply, and overall development in the Bundelkhand region.

(with agency inputs)