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The agitation by farmers and tribals affected by the Ken-Betwa river linking project has been postponed following assurances from the administration on April 16, 2026. The protesters have given the administration a 10-day extension as demanded.
Amit Bhatnagar, a social activist leading the agitation, told Down To Earth that sub-divisional magistrate (SDM)-level officials will set up camps in all affected villages to conduct a fresh survey and address the victims’ concerns regarding rehabilitation and compensation. According to Bhatnagar, his team will also conduct a survey in parallel with the administration’s, to clarify the actual situation.
Those affected by the Ken-Betwa River Linking Project began protesting on April 5. According to Bhatnagar, the people had previously submitted memorandums to the administration several times. But the administration ignored them. Ultimately, they were forced to protest. He said if the administration doesn’t resolve the affected people’s problems within 10 days, they will resume the protest.
During the protest that lasted from April 5-16, to put pressure on the administration, the protesters first staged a symbolic protest by lying on pyres. They then fasted, terming it the Akash Andolan. After this, they carried out the Mitti Andolan by smearing the soil of their village on their bodies, and finally, they entered the water through the Jal Andolan to register their protest. During this period, farmers and tribals also protested by putting nooses around their necks. The protesters demanded that the government either give them justice or death.
According to Chhatarpur’s PRO Public Relations, on April 16, a joint team of the Chhatarpur district administration reached the protest site in Dhodhan village and talks took place between the administration and the protesters for four to five hours.
According to the PRO, under the direction of Collector Parth Jaiswal, officials from the Chhatarpur district administration, led by District Panchayat CEO Namah Shivay Arajaria, held a comprehensive discussion with the protesters at the Dhodan Dam site. The protests’ complaints, demands, and discrepancies were heard point by point, and every possible solution was provided at the district level, according to the rules. During this discussion, several issues related to the displaced residents of the Majhgayan and Runjh dams in Panna district were raised, which the officials present from Panna district heard and directed for their resolution. The protesters were assured that no eligible person would be left out, and that ineligible persons would not be included in the list of beneficiaries under any circumstances.
Deputy Collector G S Patel, SDM Bijawar Vijay Dwivedi, SDMs of Panna and Ajaygarh, and Amit Bhatnagar, who is leading the protest, were present with their representatives during the discussion. According to the PRO, some of the protesters’ demands were at the government level, and officials assured them of meeting with senior officials of the Ken-Betwa Link Project to address the issues.