Ken-Betwa Protest Cleared: Tribals Evicted, Activist Hospitalized!

The controversial Ken-Betwa Link Project (KBLP), India's first river-linking initiative, has once again sparked major protests, leading to a police intervention in Madhya Pradesh. Just days after activist Sonam Wangchuk's protest in Delhi, local authorities cleared a protest site in Kupi village, Chhatarpur district, where hundreds of villagers, primarily tribals, had been demonstrating for two weeks against the ₹44,000 crore project.

In the early hours of Sunday, July 19, 2026, Madhya Pradesh Police personnel arrived at the banks of the Barana river stream. They forcibly removed the protestors, who had been vocal about their concerns regarding rehabilitation, compensation, and the environmental impact of the ambitious project. This action comes amidst continuous assertions by the administration that the KBLP is of national importance, poised to boost irrigation, drinking water supply, and overall development in the region.

Local activist Amit Bhatnagar, founder of Jai Kisan Sangathan, who had been on an indefinite hunger strike for 14 days at the site, was among those affected. Police admitted him to a government hospital after his removal. Following the clearing operation, approximately 150 protestors, many from the neighboring Panna district, were reportedly bused and dropped off in their respective villages. The ongoing opposition highlights a critical clash between large-scale development goals and the rights and livelihoods of local communities.

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