Why a mega river-linking plan has sparked massive protests in India

The Ken-Betwa project, with a budget of 440bn rupees ($5.06bn; £4.05bn), will channel excess water from the Ken river in Madhya Pradesh to the Betwa river in the neighbouring Uttar Pradesh state through a network of tunnels, canals and a dam.

It is the first of 16 such river-linking projects earmarked under India's National Perspective Plan for water resource development in the 1980s. The plan faced multiple delays - mainly due to environmental concerns and political disputes - before the government cleared it in 2021.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone for its construction in December last year.

The project is supposed to help the drought-prone Bundelkhand region - which includes parts of Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh - where arid climate and unpredictable rainfall patterns have led to decades of poverty and underdevelopment.

The government says that once completed in 2030, it will help irrigate 1.06 million hectares of land, provide drinking water to 6.2 million people and generate 130MW of hydropower and solar energy.

But at least 10 villages, including vast swathes of precious forest land, will be submerged to build the dam's reservoir and 11 more villages will be displaced for constructing the canal, affecting more than 7,000 families, district officials say.

"Our livelihoods are tied to this land - we don't know what the future holds for us anymore," said Tulsi Adivasi, who is among the thousands of villagers protesting against the project.

Most of them belong to the indigenous Gond and Kol tribes, who live along the edge of forests and depend on farming for a living.

Environmental experts warn the project will submerge nearly 98 sq km (38 sq miles) of the Panna Tiger Reserve, a 543 sq km sanctuary that successfully brought tigers back from local extinction in 2009.

This could undo years of conservation efforts. "It's unprecedented. We have never seen a core area of a national park being used for such a large-scale infrastructure project before," says environmentalist Amit Bhatnagar.

In 2019, a panel of experts constituted by India's top court had also raised concerns about the project, questioning its economic viability and impact on the region's wildlife. The government, it said, should explore alternative irrigation methods in the river basin.

Independent studies on river-linking projects in India have made similar observations.

A 2023 study published in the Nature Communications journal states that such endeavours "may worsen the water stress across the country, making these projects ineffective or possibly even counterproductive".

Baleshwar Thakur, who heads the National Water Development Agency, however, defended the project, saying authorities had conducted a thorough research and acquired all environmental clearances for the project.

"We have also designated additional land to offset the loss of tiger habitats and will rehabilitate other species affected by the project as well," he said.

The government official admitted that there would be a potential "challenge" to the biodiversity of the region, but said that "the benefits of the project outweigh the adverse impacts".

The assurances have done little to comfort the villagers.

In the heart of Daudhan, 48-year-old Mahesh Adivasi sat with a group of men, who voiced their dissent in the form of a protest song.

"Ken-Betwa dam is built by the government, it gives others water but drowns us," they sang, the lyrics capturing their anguish.

The village is one of the poorest areas in the region, lacking basic facilities such as clean drinking water and electricity.

The bitter irony of the river project isn't lost on its people - they ask why they are being asked to abandon their homes to provide electricity in 13 other districts when their own village has never had power.

"We have seen generations pass without progress. Now, we are being asked to sacrifice our lives for others' progress. What about us?" Mahesh Adivasi said.

The government has offered villagers an optional compensation plan, where they can either opt for a piece of land along with 750,000 rupees ($8,655; £6,842) or a one-time payout of 1,250,000 rupees. For those who own land, an additional amount based on the land's value will also be given.

Mr Thakur said that about 90% of the people had chosen to take the lump sum amount. "In the meantime, the government has started looking for alternative government land to resettle the villagers," he added.

But locals say the amount being offered is insufficient. Tulsi Adivasi showed BBC Hindi a government notice which evaluated his house at 46,000 rupees.

"Can a house be built with this much money?" he asked.

Others complain they have not been informed when they must evacuate or where they'd be resettled, fuelling anxieties about their future.

"The project should have been a blessing for our village but, the truth is, it will plunge us further into darkness," said Lakshmi Adivasi, 20.

Questions have also been raised against the claim that the project is meant to channel excess water from the Ken river.

Critics point out that the government has relied on outdated data from 2003, without independent verification, to calculate the river's annual yield.

Mr Thakur denied the allegation and said authorities "have all the data to continue with the project".

Mr Bhatnagar, the environmentalist, said that by going ahead with the project, the government was setting "a dangerous precedent" for similar development programmes to be carried out in other geologically sensitive areas.

"And for those affected, it once again underscores how development in India often comes at the cost of the most marginalised," he added.

-BBC