Why agitators from elsewhere converged at Ken-Betwa dam site

Demanding compensation on par with those displaced by the river link project, people from neighbouring Panna joined the 'pyre protest' in MP's Chhatarpur districtA day after Delhi Police shifted Sonam Wangchuk from Jantar Mantar to a hospital, the Chhatarpur district administration in Madhya Pradesh broke up the ‘pyre protest’ at the dam site of the Ken-Betwa river link project early in the morning of July 19. A team of the local administration and the police arrived at the Daudhan dam site and arrested Amit Bhatnagar, who had been leading the agitation. Nearly three busloads of protestors were sent back to their homes in the neighbouring Panna district.Bhatnagar had been on fast for the past 14 days as part of the agitation that began 17 days ago. According to the district administration, most of those protesting at the site are not affected by the Ken-Betwa river link project. Around 2,000 families were displaced due to two other projects, Runjh and Majhgaye, located in Panna district. They were paid compensation at the rate of Rs 5 lakh per family and have been demanding compensation at the rate of Rs 12.5 lakh—the amount given to families displaced by the Ken-Betwa river link project.Their agitation began in Panna district in March and shifted to Daudhan a month later, taking the form of the pyre protest. It was called off after the Chhatarpur administration assured them that the state government would consider their demand. The Madhya Pradesh cabinet later passed a proposal to give the difference in the compensation amounts to the families, for which Rs 300 crore would be released shortly.On July 3, however, the pyre protest was resumed at the Ken-Betwa river link dam site. “The process of rehabilitation of those affected by the Ken-Betwa project is going on and 90 per cent of the affected people have been covered,” says Chhatarpur district magistrate Parth Jaiswal. At 5 am on July 19 the protestors were sent away in buses to Panna district. Bhatnagar was admitted in hospital. “The Chhatarpur district administration had not received any written information about the protest, as mandated by law,” says the district magistrate, adding that the protest had to be called off as the water in the Byarma river was rising, posing a threat to the lives of the protestors.Bhatnagar, however, claims the agitation was disrupted as he was about to expose corruption in the Ken-Betwa link project. He says the leader of Opposition Umang Singhar visited the protest site and that the protest was public knowledge. Bhatnagar had been arrested in May by the Panna police and later secured bail.Subscribe to India Today Magazine- EndsPublished By: Shyam BalasubramanianPublished On: Jul 20, 2026 18:26 IST