On 15 May 2025, hundreds of villagers from Dhanora and nearby villages gathered in protest against land acquisition for the Bharatmala Highway project. Farmers—among them women and elders—staged a sit-in protest, demanding fair compensation for their lands. The protest escalated when a contractor’s truck dumped gravel near demonstrators, injuring local landowner Balmukund Tiwari. Police intervened, detaining 17 farmers, who were held for the day before being released in the evening.
The Bharatmala project, overseen by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), involves constructing a 92.5 km, six-lane expressway running from Durg through Anjora, Patora, Supkona, Abhanpur, and Naya Raipur to Arang. For this, NHAI—through district authorities—is acquiring land from over a thousand farmers in Durg alone. Officials insist compensation has already been paid. Villagers, however, maintain that despite eight years of protests and repeated follow-ups, the issue of miscalculation of compensation has not been resolved. Many families—whose land is their only source of livelihood—have been demanding fair valuation of their land.
Community opposition to the acquisition process stretches back to 2019.
Meeting records of the public hearing held for the Environmental Clearance process under the Environment Impact Assessment Notification (EIA, 2006) note statements from Advocate Jyoti Kumar Verma and Manoj Verma, who highlighted flaws in compensation calculations, lack of communication from NHAI, and the use of faulty multipliers to land market values. Villagers expressed that while they were willing to part with their land, they would not allow the project to proceed unless the government acquired it at a fair rate.
Frustration grew as farmers waited two more years for payments. When compensation was finally disbursed in 2021, larger protests erupted. Farmers alleged that compensation had been miscalculated: the 15 February 2018 acquisition notification stated that plots under 500 square meters should be valued by square meter, while those above 500 square meters should be calculated in hectares. Despite this, most smallholdings were treated as larger parcels and calculated in hectares, resulting in compensation that was nearly tenfold smaller in some cases. Villagers further accused officials and contractors of collusion and claimed they were threatened with eviction before receiving proper dues.
Protests have continued in waves since then, including demonstrations in September 2024 and January 2025, culminating in the sit-in protest of May 2025. Speaking to LCW, affected farmer Balmukund Tiwari said, “Once they dumped gravel on me and we still refused to move, then they understood that we are serious. Right now, they have captured the land without giving compensation and construction is ongoing. Everyone [affected farmers] is busy with the arbitration process.”
In a response to the complaints, the District Collector maintains that compensation was issued lawfully. Dissatisfied farmers challenged the process in court. The case, first filed in the Chhattisgarh High Court, has now been referred to the Office of Competent Authority (Land Acquisition) and SDM Officer, which has 250–300 cases to hear that will decide whether compensation must be revised. Commenting on the arbitration process, Tiwari said, “While the matter may get resolved in arbitration, the injustice we have faced for eight years will likely go unpunished.”
Demand/Contention of the Affected Community
Demand for compensation
Demand for more compensation than promised
Other Demand/Contention of the Affected Community
Region Classification
Rural
Type of Land
Private
N/A
What was the action taken by the police?
Detention
How many people did the police detain or arrest?
17
What is the current status of the detained/accused persons?
Released from detention
Did the person face any violence while in police custody?
If any arrests took place, were the accused persons produced before a judge within 24 hours of the arrest?
If the accused was not produced before a magistrate within 24 hours, or not produced at all, what were the reasons?
Legislation under which the accused was charged
Was the accused person informed of their right to legal representation? Did the accused person have access to legal aid?
In cases where the accused person approached the court for bail, was bail granted?
Why was bail granted or rejected? If granted, what were the bail conditions and quantum of bail?
Details of sources (names of accused, names and numbers of any lawyers, names of any police officers contacted)
Status of Project
Project underway despite protests
Original Project Deadline
Whether the Project has been Delayed
Yes
Significance of Land to Land Owners/Users
Agricultural land
Whether the project was stalled due to land conflict
No
Source/Reference
Total investment involved (in Crores):
₹
2297.15
Type of investment:
Cost of Project
Year of Estimation
2018
Has the Conflict Ended?
No
When did it end?
Why did the conflict end?
Categories of Legislations Involved in the Conflict
Land Acquisition Laws, Land Acquisition Laws, Land Acquisition Laws, Land Acquisition Laws
Legislations/Policies Involved
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Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Whether claims/objections were made as per procedure in the relevant statute
Yes
What was the claim(s)/objection(s) raised by the community?
What was the Decision of the Concerned Government Department?
Legal Processes and Loopholes Enabling the Conflict:
Controversial land acquisition by the government
Delay in compensation
Incorrect estimation of compensation
Non-payment of compensation/promised compensation
Non-consultation with stakeholders
Non-implementation/violation of LARR Act
Legal Status:
Out of Court
Status of Case In Court
Whether any adjudicatory body was approached
Yes
Name of the adjudicatory body
Office of Competent Authority (Land Acquisition) and SDM Officer Durg (CALA)
Name(s) of the Court(s)
Case Number
Land Acquisition Case No. 06-A/82 Year 2021-22 Award
Main Reasoning/Decision of court
Major Human Rights Violations Related to the Conflict:
Arrest/detention/imprisonment
Other harassment
Whether criminal law was used against protestors:
Reported Details of the Violation:
Hundreds of protesters attempted to block the construction process of expressway. 17 farmers were detained, including Balmukund Tiwari, on whom gravel was dumped via a truck.
Date of Violation
May 14, 2025
Location of Violation
Dhanora village
Government Departments Involved in the Conflict:
NHAI; District Collector; SDM; Police; Tehsildar
PSUs Involved in the Conflict:
Did LCW Approach Government Authorities for Comments?
Name, Designation and Comment of the Government Authorities Approached
Corporate Parties Involved in the Conflict:
Did LCW Approach Corporate Parties for Comments?
Communities/Local Organisations in the Conflict:
What was the action taken by the police?
Detention
How many people did the police detain or arrest?
17
What is the current status of the detained/accused persons?
Released from detention
Did the person face any violence while in police custody?
If any arrests took place, were the accused persons produced before a judge within 24 hours of the arrest?
If the accused was not produced before a magistrate within 24 hours, or not produced at all, what were the reasons?
Legislation under which the accused was charged
Was the accused person informed of their right to legal representation? Did the accused person have access to legal aid?
In cases where the accused person approached the court for bail, was bail granted?
Why was bail granted or rejected? If granted, what were the bail conditions and quantum of bail?
Were there any other notable irregularities that took place, or other significant details?
