People and the politics of contest, construction and compensation

The banks of the Barana river, where those affected by the Ken-Betwa project led the Panchtatva Satyagraha in July, now lie quiet. Although water levels have risen to cover much of the protest site, traces of the chita (pyre) and phansi (noose) used for demonstrations are still visible. The din of machinery can constantly be heard from beneath the nearby bridge. A large number of slippers lie scattered near the bridge, left behind during police interventions on July 19.

Bhagwati Saur, 60, who lives 30 km away in Mainari village in Chhatarpur district in Madhya Pradesh, arrived on July 4 at the protest site in Kupi village and returned home after the police cleared the site. She lives with her husband and six children in a five-room house. The family owns approximately five acres of agricultural land, where they grow mango, mahua and guava trees. She says that despite being affected by the project, she has, so far, received neither compensation for the house and land nor any related notice.

“We pleaded for fair compensation, taking our appeal from Chhatarpur to Bhopal. When we were not heard, we had to raise our voices through the protest,” says Bhagwati.

She is not the only one. In the affected villages, some families have been written off the compensation list, while others are awaiting payment. Many families are questioning the compensation rates and survey process. The April and July protests prompted the administration to order a reassessment of the families that had been left out.

This project will affect 7,193 families. Land acquisition is proposed across 21 affected villages, comprising 14 villages in Chhatarpur district and seven in Panna district.

Ayodhya Ahirwar, a 75-year-old resident of Palkonha village in Chhatarpur district, says that he did not receive compensation for his house, approximately two acres of land, or the special package. The special package is a compensation of ₹12.5 lakh sanctioned for each adult, while compensation for land was approved at the rate of ₹12.5 lakh (₹1.2 million) per hectare. Ayodhya claims his name is missing from the compensation list.

“The survey should have been conducted door-to-door, but people were summoned to a single location. Many families in the village were left out,” says Ayodhya. He also claims that some families that didn’t receive compensation held government-allotted land.

Similarly, Ganesh Saur, a resident of Mainari village, says he received inadequate compensation for his home. He says that an official visited his home only after repeated requests and that even then, a comprehensive assessment of the house and other assets was not conducted.

Ganesh states that other families in the village have raised similar complaints of officials often gathering information in public spaces, which leads to inaccuracies in details logged. Affected families are demanding a second round of survey. Bhajju Kodar, a resident of Daudhan village, says 29 individuals out of 429 people compiled in a list about two years ago, did not receive payment.

In May 2026, the then Chhatarpur Collector, Parth Jaiswal, stated in a conversation with Mongabay that that teams were working to verify any names that had been left out and that the demands of the affected individuals had been forwarded to higher authorities.

Questionable compensation rates and poor surveys

Sonu Saur, a resident of Sukvaha village, says that he received ₹10 lakh (₹1 million) in compensation for his two acres of land, but that the land in the vicinity is selling at a rate of ₹12 lakh (₹1.2 million) per acre.

Mongabay has not yet received official village-wise data regarding how many families were left out, how many names were added later, or the criteria used to determine eligibility.

However, Vijay Dwivedi, the sub-divisional magistrate (SDM) of Bijawar tehsil in Chhatarpur, says: “A survey has been conducted in the 14 villages of Chhatarpur affected by the project. The report has not yet been submitted; the data from the survey is currently being compiled. The report could be submitted in a few days.” The administration had no assurances regarding compensation.

Vinod Ahirwar, a resident of Kadwara village, questions the compensation amount fixed for his house. He says that the construction cost was approximately ₹10 lakh, whereas the compensation notice he received lists an amount of only ₹1.31 lakh.

Vinod claims that the SDM himself visited his house and acknowledged that the compensation amount was low. However, this claim is yet to be confirmed by the administration.

According to the Central government, compensation for land acquired for the Ken-Betwa project is being determined based on either the amount prescribed under the Land Acquisition Act, 2013, or ₹12.50 lakh per hectare — whichever is higher. The value of houses, trees, wells and other assets is assessed separately. There is also a provision for a one-time aid of ₹7 lakh for eligible families for a plot of land or ₹12.50 lakh for those who do not opt for a plot.

There is no fixed rate per room for the house. According to the law, its valuation is to be carried out by a relevant expert or engineer.

Repeated surveys following protests

Protests regarding compensation and rehabilitation have been ongoing for several years. According to Hisabi Rajput, the movement began with the submission of memoranda and local demonstrations, and later escalated to rallies and hunger strikes. In 2023, the affected individuals staged an 18-day ‘Chita Andolan’ (funeral pyre protest) and an indefinite hunger strike. Officials and staff were deployed to the affected villages, including Sukwaha, Ghughri, Bhaurkhuva, Kadwara and Palkonhan to speak to residents and confirm if they were listed for compensation.

According to SDM Dwivedi, compensation amounting to ₹84 crore (₹840 million) for inhabited areas and ₹267 crore (₹2.67 billion) for private land has been distributed across the 14 affected villages so far. Additionally, a total package of ₹464 crore (₹4.64 billion) has been provided to 3,718 families.

Recently, information regarding the Ken-Betwa Project, including a video, was shared on the Chhatarpur Public Relations Facebook page by Collector Mrinal Meena who announced that a sum of ₹7.37 crore (₹73 million) has been sanctioned for 59 affected individuals across five villages. Additionally, the revenue team has been directed to conduct a second round of survey in the 14 villages to ensure that no eligible beneficiary is left out of the compensation process.

An order dated October 4, 2023 outlines provisions for various allowances and basic amenities for affected families under the rehabilitation and resettlement framework. These include facilities such as transportation, housing, water supply, healthcare and schooling.

Does the compensation calculation cover only land, houses and special packages, or are there separate provisions for fruit-bearing trees, wells, animal sheds, other sources of livelihood and community resources? Residents like Bhagwati are raising such concerns about assets, which remain unanswered.

Those associated with the movement state that several of their key demands have not yet been met. These include full compliance with the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013; ensuring no family is displaced without proper rehabilitation; allocating three acres of land to each displaced family; and maintaining the eligibility cut-off date as 2026. The protesters are also demanding an independent inquiry into alleged irregularities regarding the project and the compensation process. Furthermore, they call for a detailed public discussion on the project’s benefits and drawbacks and insist that the damage caused to water, forests, land and the environment be factored into the rehabilitation and compensation process.

Dhruv Pandey, who has been associated with the movement for nearly a year, is responsible for conducting surveys. So far, he has surveyed nine out of 14 villages regarding their inclusion in the compensation process. Pandey says, “The affected families have depended on agriculture and the forest for generations. Many have no other means of livelihood besides farming. Therefore, many families are demanding land in exchange for land. If land is not provided, they demand compensation that would enable them to restart their livelihoods elsewhere.”

Banner image: A demolished house in Daudhan village, which is affected by the Ken-Betwa project. Image by Satish Bharatiya/Mongabay.

This story was reported by Mongabay-India’s Hindi team and first published here on our Hindi site on August 19, 2026.

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