Since 2015, farmers in Dantewada and Bastar districts had been opposing the construction of the Bacheli-Nagarnar slurry pipeline project fearing loss of their cultivable lands. 

The project, a brainchild of the National Mineral Development Corporation (NMDC) Limited, would pass through 46 villages. The pipeline will spread across approximately 138 kilometres from Kirandul to Chokawada (Nagarnar) and will have a capacity of 15 million tonnes per annum. 

Over the years, the affected farmers have registered their discontent through demonstrations, protests and written complaints. 

On 29 April 2015, during a public hearing in Dantewada, the people questioned the NMDC on the compensation package and jobs for the unemployed, reported a local daily. On 4 July, during a public hearing organised in Tokapal block, representatives of 34 villages voiced their concerns about the impact of the project on their land and livelihood. They also accused the authorities of not following the prescribed procedure for conducting public hearings. 

In February 2016, the villagers attempted to obstruct the teams from conducting surveys in six villages in Dantewada. The people were worried about the authorities' decision to acquire common land under the Right of Use/Right of Way permit for development of a 30-metre-long corridor for the pipeline instead of acquiring private land. 

In May 2016, a newspaper reported that the Bastar divisional commissioner had directed the NMDC to account for the interests of the affected people and asked the company to focus on development work under corporate social responsibility. 

Since then, the protesters have approached the authorities many times to raise their concerns and demands. According to news report, on April 23, 2017, representatives of 23 villages organised a meeting in Delimili to put forward their demands. They demanded royalty in place of compensation for the project-affected families, a payment of Rs 1 crore every year to each Gram Sabha for development work and employment opportunities for the unemployed in Bastar. 

On 9 October 2017, protesters from 28 villages gathered outside the NMDC office in Kirandul town under the banner of Samyukta Panchayat Jan Sangharsh Samiti and demanded to stop the construction of the pipeline immediately. However, despite public protests, on 8 February 2018, the project received Stage 1 approval for forest clearance with specified conditions. 

Over the years, the protesters have aligned themselves with the widespread discontent caused by mining activities of NMDC and other companies. In March 2019, during a public rally, they claimed that the company had fraudulently taken approvals from the Gram Sabhas.  

In June 2019, the people protested with traditional weapons in front of the district administration and NDMC officials. They claimed that the Gram Sabhas had not consented to the project without which the company could not start the survey work. In Mavlibhatta village, the tribal families also alleged that this violated the Panchayats (Extension to Scheduled Areas) Act.  According to a newspaper report, the NMDC officials have tried to clarify that the project would not result in the loss of fertile lands and stated that most villages had already consented to the project. 

On 20 November 2020, the environment ministry granted Stage-II forest clearance to the project following the compliance report submitted by the company. It paved the way for the construction of the pipeline to start from July 2021.

In 2025, construction of the NMDC slurry pipeline is well underway, with several villages along the route reaching agreements with the company over compensation under Right of Use/Right of Way permits. Speaking to LCW, Sampat Bhagel, a resident of Mavlibhatta, said, “We had organised large protests for a long time against the pipeline, but last year [2024] a team from our village was invited to the Collectorate in Jagdalpur for a meeting, and an agreement over compensation was reached. Construction has been going on for two months now, so we’re not protesting anymore.” For most villages along the pipeline, this has been the pattern.

Bacheli, however, from where the slurry pipeline originates, remains a stronghold of opposition. The Gram Sabha presented a set of demands to the SDM office and NMDC, including jobs, education, healthcare, community infrastructure, and compensation at government rates. NMDC has so far rejected these demands, and the village continues to withhold approval for the project. Just as earlier protests begin to subside elsewhere, new demonstrations are emerging in Bastar where local youth are demanding better opportunities from the company.

Safety concerns have also come to the fore. In August 2025, two children drowned in separate incidents after falling into open pits and drains linked to the pipeline construction. Villagers complained about the absence of barricades and warning boards, adding that livestock too have been injured in similar accidents.

Meanwhile, NMDC continues to pursue wider expansion. The company is seeking fresh Environmental Clearance for the expansion of the Bailadila Iron Ore mine and investing in capacity increases at its screening plants in Kirandul and Donimalai, a beneficiation plant in Bacheli, and an expanded pellet plant in Nagarnar.