Thousands of villagers in the state of Maadi Pradesh in central India are protesting the project of millions of dollars in connection with rivers, as they say, they will steal them from their homes and ways to live.

The Ken-Betwa project, a budget of 440 billion rupees (5.06 billion dollars; 4.05 billion pounds), will direct excess water from the Kane River in the state of Madi Pradesh to the Betoa River in the neighboring state of Uttar Pradesh through a network of expenses, channels and dams.

This is the first 16 project to connect the rivers allocated under the national perspective plan in India to develop water resources in the 1980s. The plan faced multiple delays – mainly due to environmental fears and political conflicts – before the government cleared it in 2021.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone for its construction in December last year.

The project is supposed to help the Bundelkhand region exposed to dryness – which includes parts of Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh – where arid rainfall and unexpected climate have led to decades of poverty and backwardness.

The government says that once 2030 is completed, it will help it with 1.06 million hectares of land, and to provide drinking water to 6.2 million people and generate 130 megawatts of hydroelectric energy and solar energy.

But at least 10 villages, including vast areas of precious forest lands, will be immersed to build the dam tank and 11 other villages will be displaced to build the canal, which affects more than 7,000 families.

“We are related to this land – we do not know what the future hides for us anymore,” said Toulsi Edvasi, who is among the thousands of villagers protesting against the project.

Most of them belong to the indigenous Gund and Cool tribes, who live along the edge of the forests and depend on agriculture for a living.

Environmental experts warn that the project will immerse about 98 square kilometers (38 square miles) from the Panna Tiger Reserve, a 543 square kilometer reserve successfully brought the tigers successfully from local extinction in 2009.

This can back away from years of memorization efforts. “It has never seen.” I have never seen an essential area of ​​a national park used for a widespread infrastructure project on a large scale. ”

In 2019, a committee of experts formed by the major court in India raised concerns about the project, questioning its economic ability and its impact on wildlife in the region. He said that the government should explore alternative irrigation methods in the river basin.

Index studies in India have made similar notes.

Study 2023 Published In Nature Communications, a magazine states that such endeavors “may exacerbate water stress throughout the country, making these projects ineffective or perhaps even inverse results.”

However, Baleshwar Thakur, who heads the National Water Development Agency for the project, defended the authorities that the authorities conducted a comprehensive research and gained all environmental permits for the project.

“We have also set additional lands to compensate for the loss of tiger habitats and we will also qualify other types affected by the project,” he said.

The government official admitted that there would be a possible “challenge” of the region’s biological diversity, but he said that “the benefits of the project exceed the harmful effects.”

The assurances did not do much for the comfort of the villagers.

At the heart of Davhan, Mahaish Adifassi, 48, sat with a group of men, who expressed their jams in the form of a protest song.

“The Ken-Betwa Dam has been built by the government, as it gives others water but drowns us,” sang, words that pick up their pain.

The village is one of the poorest regions in the region, which lacks basic facilities such as clean drinking water and electricity.

The bitter paradox of the river project has not been lost on its people – they are asking about the reason for their demand to abandon their homes to provide electricity in 13 other provinces when their village did not enjoy power.

“We have seen generations pass without progress. Now, we are asked to sacrifice our lives for the progress of others. What about us?” Maheh Edvasy said.

The government has provided two villagers an optional compensation plan, where they can either choose a plot of land along with 750,000 rupees (8,655 dollars; 6,842 pounds) or pay one -time payments of 1,250,000 rupees. For those who own land, an additional amount will also be given based on the value of the land.

Mr. Thakur said that about 90 % of people chose to take the amount of the broken amount. “Meanwhile, the government began looking for alternative governmental lands to resettle the villagers,” he added.

But the locals say the amount that is offered is not enough. The Indian Edcedy BBC, Toulcy BBC, showed a government notice that evaluated his home in 46,000 rupees.

“Can a house be built with this a lot of money?” He asked.

Others complain that they were not informed when they were evacuated or where they will be resettled, which is concerned about their future.

“The project should have been a blessing for our village, but the truth is that it would drowse us in the dark,” said Lakshmi Advasi, 20.

Questions were also asked against the prosecution that the project aims to direct excess water from the Kane River.

Critics indicate that the government has relied on old data since 2003, without independent verification, to calculate the annual return of the river.

Mr. Thakur denied this allegation and told the authorities, “It has all the data to continue the project.”

Mr. Bahtnagar, the environment scientist, said that by moving forward in the project, the government was developing a “dangerous precedent” for similar development programs that will be implemented in other areas sensitive geologically.

“For those affected, it once again emphasizes how development in India often comes at the expense of the most marginalized,” he added.

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