Now Reading: Ken-Betwa river link: environment, displacement spark protests
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Ken-Betwa river link: environment, displacement spark protests
On July 3, 2026, villagers in Chhatarpur launched the 'Chita Andolan', demanding justice over displacement from the Ken-Betwa River Linking Project. The project, India's first major river interlinking scheme, aims to divert…
The Story in Brief
On July 3, 2026, villagers in Chhatarpur launched the 'Chita Andolan', demanding justice over displacement from the Ken-Betwa River Linking Project. The project, India's first major river interlinking scheme, aims to divert water from the Ken to the Betwa basin via a 220-km canal, costing Rs 44,605 crore. The government says it will provide drinking water to 62 lakh people and irrigate 10.62 lakh hectares across 10 districts in Madhya Pradesh and 4 in Uttar Pradesh. But environmental clearance remains contested. The dam will submerge 6,017 hectares of forest, cut 18 lakh trees, and flood 10% of Panna Tiger Reserve's core habitat. The Supreme Court-appointed Central Empowered Committee (CEC) has flagged that the state fails to meet legal standards for protecting the reserve.
Displaced families in Palkoha village fear reprisal and hesitate to speak. The project is central to the National Perspective Plan for addressing drought in Bundelkhand, but critics question whether the ecological and social costs outweigh the benefits.
The Indian Opinion
The Ken-Betwa project is sold as a lifeline for Bundelkhand's drought-hit farmers, while activists paint it as an ecological disaster. Neither extreme captures the full picture. The government must prove it can honour rehabilitation promises and mitigate tiger habitat loss, something the CEC says it hasn't done. The real test is not whether the dam is built, but whether the state can legally and humanely manage the fallout. Will the Supreme Court accept the CEC's damning assessment?
Source: livelaw.in
This story was synthesised by AI from the source linked above.
