An activist leading protests against the Ken-Betwa river link project in Madhya Pradesh, Amit Bhatnagar, ends an 18-day hunger strike after the state government orders fresh surveys for families affected by the project. Reports say the decision comes following demands raised during the hunger strike, which Bhatnagar used to press for recognition and compensation for people displaced or otherwise impacted by the project. While ending the hunger strike, Bhatnagar says he will continue the broader agitation until, as he puts it, all displaced families receive justice.
The government action centers on conducting new surveys of project-affected households, a step intended to reassess or update information related to families impacted by the project. The sources present the government’s order as the immediate trigger for Bhatnagar’s decision to stop fasting. The protest leader’s statement indicates he views the survey order as a partial outcome rather than a complete resolution of the dispute over rehabilitation and related measures.
