Protests Erupt Over River Linking Project in Madhya Pradesh
Ajaygarh, India — Anger is growing among tribal residents in Ajaygarh, Madhya Pradesh, as they protest against a massive $87 billion government project aimed at linking rivers across India. Bitti Bai Kondar, a farmer with deep roots in the land that her family has cultivated for over a hundred years, stands knee-deep in the Ken River, signaling her connection to her ancestral home. The mother of four adult sons, who are all joining her in the protests, has witnessed her village being flooded due to ongoing project work.
“We would rather die than abandon our home without receiving fair compensation,” she says, her face adorned with mud as a mark of solidarity with her land. Recently, many women, including Kondar, have shown their resistance by lying on mock funeral pyres, expressing their despair over losing their homes.
“The government is taking our land and water without giving us any alternatives,” she adds, emphasizing that the compensation offered falls short of what is needed to rebuild their lives after the displacement.
This conflict marks a critical moment for India’s ambitious initiative to link approximately 30 rivers, a plan that has been in the works for decades but has gained momentum in recent years under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership. The primary aim of this project is to divert water to regions suffering from drought, thereby enhancing food security for millions of farmers in a country where agriculture plays a key role in the economy. However, critics warn that such developments could displace communities and harm vulnerable ecosystems.
The first phase of the project will connect the Ken River to the Betwa River, with an estimated cost of around $4.6 billion. Although the government has raised the compensation offer to about 1.25 million Indian rupees (roughly $13,000) per hectare—more than double the initial offer—many residents insist that these payments do not adequately compensate for their losses.
Usha Parmar, the district administrator, reported that over 90% of the compensation payouts have been made. Yet local voices like Dhaniram Bhatnagar, a village priest whose temple has been washed away, argue that the funds only cover basic housing losses, failing to address the full extent of their hardships.
Environmentalists have also expressed serious concerns about the project, particularly the proposed Daudhan Dam on the Ken River, which could flood around 9,000 hectares, including parts of the Panna Tiger Reserve, a key area for tiger conservation efforts in India. The government acknowledges that environmental impacts are unavoidable but believes they can be managed through forestry and wildlife protection initiatives.
Some experts question the scientific validity of the project. Himanshu Thakkar, who coordinates the South Asia Network on Dams, Rivers and People, highlights that the rationale for the project relies on a questionable assumption of water surplus in the Ken River and a deficit in the Betwa.
A government spokesperson was unable to address the scientific concerns directly but reiterated that the initiative aims to tackle long-standing water scarcity issues in the Bundelkhand region, providing essential irrigation, drinking water, and hydropower sources for the community.
The situation continues to unfold as tribal residents and environmental advocates push back against a project they fear could reshape their lives and landscape irrevocably.
