Adivasi communities reject compensation for Ken-Betwa river project

Adivasi communities in the project impact zone are mounting sustained opposition to the Ken-Betwa river interlinking scheme, rejecting financial compensation in favour of preserving their ancestral territories. The resistance highlights deepening tensions between large-scale infrastructure development and indigenous land rights in central India.

The government has set compensation at Rs 12.5 lakh for eligible villagers aged 18 and above as of February 2024, along with Rs 5 lakh per acre of acquired land. Yet affected residents remain steadfast in their refusal to vacate, framing their position not as a negotiation over prices but as a fundamental assertion of territorial rights.

"We want a forest for our forest, land for our land, water for our water, and a village for our village," representatives of the affected communities have stated, encapsulating their demand for like-for-like replacement rather than cash compensation. The slogan underscores Adivasi concerns that monetary settlements cannot replicate the ecological and cultural value of lands that have sustained their communities for generations.

The Ken-Betwa interlinking project, designed to address water scarcity in drought-prone regions, has faced environmental and social scrutiny since its inception. The standoff between project authorities and Adivasi groups suggests that securing land acquisition for the scheme will require addressing underlying concerns about livelihood replacement and resource management in affected areas.