Police clear protest against Ken-Betwa, other projects in M.P.
Madhya Pradesh Police dispersed a two-week tribal protest against the Ken-Betwa river-link project and other irrigation and development projects in Chhatarpur district.
- Police dispersed a two-week tribal protest at the Barana riverbank in Chhatarpur district.
- The district administration said the protest site was being cleared to prevent an accident.
- Protesters said police forcibly evicted them and assaulted women.
- Amit Bhatnagar said the police prevented him from exposing alleged corruption linked to compensation and said the hunger strike would continue.
Madhya Pradesh Police dispersed a two-week tribal protest on the Barana riverbank in Chhatarpur district. The protest was directed against the Ken-Betwa river-link project and other irrigation and development projects. The incident is relevant for UPSC because it sits at the intersection of water-resource planning, displacement, compensation, and protest rights.
What happened
Police cleared the protest site after arguing that rising water levels and more rain created safety risks. Protesters had been using symbolic funeral pyres and nooses as a form of protest. The district administration said the area was being cleared to prevent an accident.
UPSC may frame the issue around balancing water-resource development with tribal rights, rehabilitation, compensation, environmental safeguards, and administrative accountability in river-linking projects.
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