Madhya Pradesh villagers protest Ken-Betwa river link project fearing flooding
Hundreds of villagers in Madhya Pradesh are protesting the massive Ken-Betwa River Link Project, worried it will flood their homes and temples.
The $87 billion plan is supposed to connect some 30 rivers nationwide, and the Ken-Betwa connection is phase one, costed at about $4.6 billion, but locals say the risks (and the compensation) just aren't fair.
Villagers and priest say compensation inadequate
Villagers like Bitti Bai Kondar are fighting to keep their ancestral land, saying government help has fallen short.
Priest Dhaniram Bhatnagar, whose temple is already underwater, said, "The temple was my only source of income and now it is gone."
Many feel the offered compensation doesn't match what they're losing: with nearly 9,000 hectares at stake (including parts of a tiger reserve), environmental worries are growing too.