Irrigation scheme threatens Kuno cheetahs and displaces thousands of local families

India's cheetah reintroduction program faces a new hurdle as the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change granted clearance for the Chentikheda irrigation project, which will inundate eight villages and take 72 hectares from Kuno National Park's forested area. Experts warn that Kuno's 750 sq km is already too small for the intended 21 cheetahs, and the additional loss could fragment their home range and impede movement through the proposed Rajasthan-Madhya Pradesh corridor.

Around 1,200 families, predominantly Adivasi, stand to lose land and livelihoods, with three villages facing a second displacement after a previous relocation for a failed lion project. Local residents report that public hearings have omitted specific compensation figures and timelines, contrary to the requirements of the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013.

The project's environmental impact report claims no breeding sites lie within the flood zone, a point contested by biologists who note cheetahs may still use the area. Additional infrastructure, such as a pumped-hydro project in Shahbad, further threatens the emerging cheetah corridor, prompting calls for a comprehensive, cross-sectoral assessment.