Bhopal/ New Delhi, July 17 : Environmental activist Amit Bhatnagar, who has been on a hunger strike for 16 days in Madhya Pradesh’s Chhatarpur district, has extended support to Sonam Wangchuk, saying both protests are rooted in the fight for justice and people’s rights.
Bhatnagar, whose fast is aimed at highlighting the concerns of families affected by the Ken-Betwa river-linking project, said his movement stands in complete solidarity with Wangchuk. Speaking to Khabar Lahariya, he said, “Our struggles are the same, and we stand with him completely.
“Referring to the slogan of the ongoing ‘Chita Andolan’—”Nyay do ya maro” (Give us justice or let us die)—Bhatnagar said activists working for people’s rights are confronting a deeply flawed system. He also urged the government to ensure Wangchuk’s safety, recalling the death of environmentalist G.D. Agarwal, who died during a prolonged fast in 2018.
Bhatnagar said it is the government’s responsibility to protect peaceful protesters and respond to their concerns through dialogue rather than neglect.
The Chita Andolan, led by the Jai Kisan Sangathan, resumed earlier this month after talks with authorities failed to address the grievances of people affected by the Ken-Betwa river-linking project. The protest had been suspended in April following assurances from officials.
The protesters have alleged irregularities in compensation paid to displaced families and claimed that mandatory Gram Sabha consultations, public disclosure of social impact assessments, and community consent were bypassed during the project’s implementation. Bhatnagar also alleged that several activists were booked under false cases after the earlier protest.
Approved by the Union Cabinet in December 2021 at an estimated cost of ₹44,605 crore, the Ken-Betwa river-linking project aims to transfer water from the Ken River to the Betwa River to address water scarcity in the drought-prone Bundelkhand region of Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh. According to the Centre, the project is expected to irrigate 10.62 lakh hectares, provide drinking water to nearly 62 lakh people, and generate 103 MW of hydropower along with 27 MW of solar power.
However, environmental groups have raised serious concerns over the project’s ecological impact. Government estimates indicate that around 6,600 families may be displaced and nearly 45 lakh trees could be felled. The proposed Daudhan Dam, to be built inside the Panna Tiger Reserve, is also expected to submerge thousands of hectares of forest, prompting objections from conservationists and experts.
Environmental campaigners have further cited observations made by the Supreme Court’s Central Empowered Committee, which questioned whether the Ken River has sufficient surplus water and expressed concerns about the project’s environmental and economic viability. Questions have also been raised over the forest clearances granted for the project.
