- The villagers warned that the Centre cannot proceed without local approval.
- The villagers urged the government to hold a discussion with the village before continuing the project.
- For many villagers, the issue extends beyond compensation and rehabilitation.
Thousands of residents from 56 villages in Chhattisgarh gathered together to oppose the revival of the long-awaited Bodhghat multipurpose project, warning that the initiative threatens their livelihoods and homes. The agitators gathered in Hitalkudum village near Barsur, claiming restarting the project could devastate the local ecosystem and displace thousands of people. The villagers warned that the Centre cannot proceed without local approval.
The community representatives, including the Sarpanchs and the villagers, submitted a memorandum to the administration, demanding an immediate halt to the survey work related to the Bodhgaya project.
Why Are They Protesting?
Agitators alleged that the project could affect several villages across Dantewada, Bastar and Bijapur, submerging over 16,000 hectares of forest and displacing thousands of people. The villagers urged the government to hold a discussion with the village before furthering the project.
Shiv Kumar Mandavi, president of the Bodhghat Sangharsh Samiti, said, “The government is trying to uproot people in the name of development. The project will affect a large part of Bastar and displace thousands of people.”
The representative claimed that for many villagers, the issue extends beyond compensation and rehabilitation. Villagers said the project threatened to submerge forests, hills, caves and ancestral sites that formed the core of Bastar's tribal identity.
A Loss To Cultural Heritage
Some said that the natural resources, such as forests and hills, are also associated with tribal worship and would be submerged, causing an irreversible loss to Bastar's cultural heritage.
The Bodhghat Multipurpose Project, handled by the Water Resources Department (WRD), is one of the oldest pending river valley projects in Bastar, first envisaged in 1979. The World Bank approved a loan for the project in 1984, but protests over displacement, forest loss, and concerns raised by tribal communities halted it in 1987.
Kovasi Bomda, Divisional President of the All India Tribal Mahasabha, has supported the villagers' opposition, stating that the Mahasabha has been opposing this project since 1985. The project would deprive people of their ancestral homes, land, and means of livelihood.