As rising waters flood homes and temples, villagers protest India's $87 billion river-linking project
AJAYGARH: Standing knee-deep in the Ken River, with mud smeared on her face to symbolize a connection to land her family has farmed for more than a century, Bitti Bai Kondar is among hundreds of tribal residents voicing anger over an $87 billion government project to link India’s rivers. The mother of four adult sons, who are all protesting with her, has watched as rising water from work on the…
Bitti Bai Kondar, a mother of four, stands knee-deep in the Ken River, her face smeared with mud as a symbol of the land her family has cultivated for generations. She is among hundreds of tribal villagers protesting India's $87 billion river-linking project, which aims to transfer water to drought-stricken regions. Rising waters, a result of the project's construction, have inundated her village, sparking anger among the residents who demand better compensation for their ancestral homes.
"The government is taking our land and water without giving us another place to live," Kondar asserts. Critics argue the project risks displacing communities and harming delicate ecosystems, particularly the Panna Tiger Reserve. While the government claims environmental impact can be mitigated, environmentalists remain skeptical, questioning the feasibility of the plan based on a presumed hydrological advantage.
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