Archive · 21 Jul 2026
Chita Andolan: Tribal Protest Against Ken-Betwa River Project
In the Bundelkhand region of Central India, tribal women from the Gond and Kol communities are protesting against a big water project called the Ken-Betwa River Interlinking Project.
They are lying on mock funeral pyres to show how much they love their land and how sad they would be if they had to leave.
The project wants to move water from one river to another to help with droughts, but it will flood their villages and forests.
The tribes rely on the land for food, medicine, and their culture.
They feel that the government's compensation is not enough because their land is not just a place to live but also holds their ancestors' memories and spiritual meaning.
The protest is a way to show that losing their land would be like losing a part of themselves.
The Chita Andolan is a protest by Gond and Kol tribal women against the Ken-Betwa River Interlinking Project in Central India.
Protesters lie on mock funeral pyres to symbolize the cultural death they would experience if displaced from their ancestral lands.
The project aims to move water from the Ken river to the Betwa basin but will submerge 9,000 hectares of land, including parts of the Panna Tiger Reserve and 10 villages.
Tribal communities fear losing their traditional knowledge systems and way of life, which are deeply tied to the land and rivers.
The protest has two phases: the first on April 8, 2026, and the second from July 3 to July 19, 2026, when police cleared the camp.
- Who
- Gond and Kol tribal women in Madhya Pradesh’s Chhatarpur and Panna districts
- What
- Chita Andolan (Funeral Pyre Protest) against the Ken-Betwa River Interlinking Project
- When
- First phase on April 8, 2026; second phase from July 3 to July 19, 2026
- Where
- Banks of the Ken and Barana rivers in the Bundelkhand region, Central India
- Why
- To protest against the Ken-Betwa River Interlinking Project, which threatens their ancestral lands and way of life
Tribal Communities
Government and Developers
Land and Cultural Preservation
Tribal Communities
Tribal communities view the land as ancestral and spiritually significant, and fear losing their way of life and traditional knowledge systems.
Government and Developers
The government and developers argue that the project is necessary for drought mitigation and regional development.
Compensation and Relocation
Tribal Communities
Tribal communities feel that compensation is inadequate and cannot replace their ancestral lands and ecosystems.
Government and Developers
The state government has offered a compensation package, which some affected families have accepted.
- Location
- Bundelkhand region, Central India (Madhya Pradesh’s Chhatarpur and Panna districts)
- Protest Name
- Chita Andolan (Funeral Pyre Protest)
- Key Participants
- Gond and Kol tribal women
- Project Involved
- Ken-Betwa River Interlinking Project
- Land to be Submerged
- 9,000 hectares, including 4,141 hectares in Panna Tiger Reserve
- Villages Affected
- 10 villages to be completely submerged
- Protest Dates
- April 8, 2026 (first phase), July 3-19, 2026 (second phase)