The decision to lease 1,050 acres of land in the Pirpainty region of Bhagalpur district to Adani Power for 33 years at a mere ₹1 per acre annual rent has become a major political issue in Bihar. Congress President Rajesh Ram, Bihar in-charge Krishna Allavaru, Legislature Party Leader Dr. Shakeel Ahmad Khan, and Legislative Council Leader Dr. Madan Mohan Jha have already marched from Sadakat Ashram to Rajendra Babu's samadhi in Patna over this issue. Pawan Khera and Kanhaiya Kumar are vocally opposing it. Additionally, allied parties of the Mahagathbandhan (Grand Alliance) are also protesting. The Congress party even held a march in Patna on this matter.
On September 15th, Prime Minister Narendra Modi virtually laid the foundation stone for the 2400 MW capacity Ultra-Super Critical Thermal Power Project in Pirpainty, Bhagalpur district. Addressing an event in Purnia, the PM stated that the project, costing approximately ₹29,000 crores, would be the largest coal-based power project not just in Bihar but in all of Eastern India.
The fact is, about forty years ago, in 1985, the foundation of the Kahalgaon NTPC was being laid in this same area. Around that time, environmentalist and pioneer of the Ganga Mukti Andolan (Ganga Liberation Movement), Anil Prakash, published an article in the newspaper Jansatta titled, "The Kahalgaon Power Plant will bring disaster!" The fears expressed then are proving true today. The Ganga Mukti Andolan had launched widespread protests during that era. The government was led by the Congress party. The foundation stone for the Kahalgaon NTPC Plant was laid by the then Chief Minister of Bihar, Chandrashekhar Singh, on May 23, 1984. Work on the NTPC Super Thermal Power Plant in Kahalgaon began in 1985. The first unit with a 210 MW capacity became operational in March 1992.
When the project started, local people dreamed of development, employment, and a better standard of living, but today that dream has faded. Pollution, lack of employment, and absence of basic amenities have shattered the villagers' hopes. Now the situation is so dire that people are forced to leave their villages. The pollution in the surrounding villages is appalling. Villagers say the ash storms emanating from the plant have made their lives miserable. Ash settles on houses, crops, and water, causing people to face serious health issues.
Kahalgaon already has an NTPC power plant, where very few people who lost their land received employment. People are suffering from the effects of pollution. The nearby Godda district in Jharkhand faces a similar situation—coal comes from Australia, and electricity goes to Bangladesh. The people of Jharkhand also gained nothing. There is a plan afoot to surround and destroy the entire region through mining and energy projects. There are also discussions about a coal block and a gas pipeline here. Handing over the fertile land of Pirpainty to Adani is not development; it is destruction. This deal is a direct attack on the farming, orchards, and the very life of the entire area.
The protest is happening for these reasons. On Gandhi Jayanti, CPI-ML General Secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya visited the area. He stated that the government took the priceless land of farmers in Pirpainty in the name of NTPC, promising development and jobs. However, giving the land to Adani on a one-rupee lease is wrong. He mentioned that people told him they didn't even receive proper compensation for the acquired land. There are also inconsistencies in payment. Meanwhile, the land is precious. There are approximately 10 lakh mango and other fruit trees here, but no compensation was given for those trees either. When local head Deepak Singh demanded rehabilitation for the families of Kamalpur, he was arrested and jailed. Several others were detained, which is unjust. "We will fight their battle," he said.
In this area, the process of acquiring land in 7 panchayats began in 2010 in the name of NTPC. Suddenly, after 15 years, this land has been given to Adani. Farmers say they gave the land to the Bihar government, not to Adani. The farmers' fight has been ongoing since then. They had appealed to the district administration to acquire the single-crop land nearby instead of the fertile land to minimize losses. Later, they went to the high court, but the court gave an unusual decision, asking, "Will the government buy land only after consulting the farmers?" This was the first injustice against the farmers there.
MLA Rambali Singh Yadav from Ghosi assembly, former MLA Manoj Manzil, and local leaders Mahesh Yadav, Randhir Yadav, Rinku Yadav, Gauri Shankar of CPI-ML, along with representatives from the INDIA alliance and civil society, who accompanied Dipankar Bhattacharya, state that the truth is being hidden behind the facade of a power plant. People say they already have employment—the mango orchards provide a livelihood for millions of families. Both those with land and those without find employment here. Displacing such a large number of people from their land, jobs, and livelihood to benefit Adani is a conspiracy by the Modi and Nitish governments. People are very angry.
Dipankar Bhattacharya asserts, "The Adani Power Project in Pirpainty is a deal for destruction, not development." There are three types of irregularities in the compensation:
(a) Compensation has been paid at different rates for land from the same mauza (revenue village), khata (account), and khesra (plot number).
(b) Farmers who bought land but couldn't get the paperwork done are not receiving compensation. The matter is pending in court.
(c) Many people haven't received any compensation at all. Efforts have been made to favor powerful people in the compensation, while the poor have not received fair compensation.
Families being displaced in the Kamalpur hamlet allege that they won't be able to buy land with such low compensation. They demand that the government build houses for them and provide land in exchange for land. Approximately 64 houses will be displaced here, and they are constantly being served notices.
Condemnation and Demands
The National Coordination of People's Movements (NAPM) has strongly condemned the illegal and non-transparent decision, stating that the rights of farmers, public interest, and environmental balance are being sacrificed for corporate profit. This is an open example of 'crony capitalism' which further deepens public distrust in governance. The organization demands that the Pirpainty Thermal Power Project be immediately cancelled, the acquired land be returned to the affected farmers, and full compensation and rehabilitation for all losses incurred so far be ensured.
The NAPM stated that the project's approximately 1,050 acres of land belong to 915 farmers, much of which is fertile and used for cultivating mango, litchi, and other crops. This land was acquired after being falsely declared "barren." Many farmers have not received compensation or were paid at old rates fixed ten years ago. A one-time compensation cannot make up for the loss of a lifelong livelihood and the cultural-social relationship with the land. This highlights the structural inequality where farmers are considered scapegoats for capitalism's profit-driven 'development.' Ironically, while the government claims it has no land to give to the landless, it is ready to lease thousands of acres of land almost for free to one of India's largest corporate groups.
The Pirpainty Thermal Power Plant, proposed as a 2,400 MW coal-based plant, is a disaster for both public health and the environment. This region is already home to the Kahalgaon Super Thermal Power Station, and adding another coal plant will exacerbate existing pollution. Bhagalpur has repeatedly been counted among the most polluted cities in India and the world. In January 2024, it was recorded as the second most polluted city in India and the 31st most polluted globally. The increased use of coal in this already polluted region will severely harm air and water quality, increase respiratory diseases, and affect the lives of millions, especially the most vulnerable. This disaster will be further compounded by the plan to cut 10 lakh trees, which will have an irreversible impact on the ecosystem of the Ganga Basin. Bhagalpur is situated on the banks of the Ganga, which is already under immense stress. Such projects directly threaten its fragile ecosystem and violate the spirit of the 'River Conservation Missions' that the government advocates.
The Pirpainty project runs contrary to India's climate commitments under the Paris Agreement, its Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), and the 'Net Zero' target by 2070. Both the Government of India and the Bihar State Government have spoken about supporting a renewable energy transition, yet their actions show a contradictory and dangerous path that deepens dependence on fossil fuels. The global message is clear: new coal power projects are inconsistent with the climate goals required to avert catastrophic temperature rise. India cannot claim global climate leadership while domestically expanding its coal infrastructure.
The organization demands:
* The acquired land be returned to the affected farmers, and full rehabilitation and compensation be ensured for any losses incurred so far.
* The promotion of false solutions like new coal projects in the name of development be stopped.
* All projects threatening the ecology of the Ganga Basin be halted—Bhagalpur is not just a city but a lifeline area situated on the banks of a critically distressed river.
* The use of environmental destruction as a political tool be stopped—the decision to hastily and quietly impose this project right before elections must be exposed and opposed.
* Priority be given to decentralized, renewable energy solutions that provide dignified employment, protect health, and ensure long-term stability for Bihar and other regions.
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*Journalist
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