Protests over Ken-Betwa river link project resume in Madhya Pradesh
Tribal residents in Madhya Pradesh have resumed protests demanding increased compensation and rehabilitation for displacement caused by the Ken-Betwa river linking and other irrigation projects. While the government claims the protesters are not directly impacted by the Ken-Betwa project, they have recently increased compensation packages for related irrigation schemes.
Why it matters
The conflict highlights the ongoing tension between large-scale infrastructure development and the rights of displaced indigenous communities in India.
Residents of several villages, mostly tribals, who are allegedly being impacted by the Ken-Betwa river linking project , have restarted their agitation in Chhatarpur district over their demands of better compensation and rehabilitation, after their talks with officials failed to reach a conclusion.
Several protestors, most of them women, have launched a symbolic protest by placing a hanging noose around their necks which has now reached its fifth day on the banks of the Barana River near Kupi village.
Earlier in April, protestors had demonstrated for days by lying on symbolic pyres over water, which had gained national attention. The protested had been suspended due to discussions being held with officials from Chhatarpur and Panna districts.
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