What happened
An activist ended an 18-day hunger strike against the Ken-Betwa river-linking project after receiving an assurance from the government that people omitted from the rehabilitation plan would be included. The protest was being held on the Barana riverbank in Madhya Pradesh’s Chhatarpur district.
The activist said he stopped the fast because several tribal women involved in the protest had also begun fasting after police removed him to a hospital and dismantled the protest site.
Why the issue matters
The Ken-Betwa river-linking project is a useful UPSC case study because it combines inter-state water management, project displacement, and rehabilitation of vulnerable communities. The present episode shows that implementation quality in rehabilitation planning can become as important as the engineering project itself.
Related current affairs
- Hunger stir against Ken-Betwa Link Project enters 15th day
- Why are there protests over the Ken-Betwa project?
- Tribals escalate protest against Ken-Betwa river-linking project; demand higher rehabilitation package
- Police clear protest against Ken-Betwa, other projects in M.P.
- Ken-Betwa link project: Cong. flags police intimidation, ‘flaws’ in compensation to villagers
- Gen Alpha rises, one school at a time