Ironically, while the government claims it has no land to distribute to the landless, it is willing to lease thousands of acres virtually free to one of India’s largest conglomerates. The betrayal could not be starker and more brazen.
Groundxero | Oct 03, 2025
The decision to lease 1,050 acres of land in Pirpainti, Bhagalpur district, to Adani Power for 33 years at an annual rent of just ₹1 per acre has become a major political flashpoint in Bihar.
The National Alliance of People’s Movements (NAPM) has condemned this unjust and opaque decision that sacrifices farmers’ rights, public interest, and ecological well-being at the altar of corporate profit.
NAPM called the decision a blatant instance of crony capitalism, and has demanded that the Pirpainti Thermal Power Project be scrapped immediately and the acquired land be re-allotted to the affected farmers, ensuring full rehabilitation and compensation for any harm already done.
NAPM said, “It is indeed shameful that the Adani Group, already mired in national and international controversies, has now been awarded this massive project worth ₹29,000 crore (USD 3 billion) through a process that raises more questions than it answers. With elections approaching, the project is being packaged as a major ‘job-creating’ infrastructure venture, while masking the long-term consequences it will unleash on the people and environment of Bihar.”
Land Grab and Betrayal of Farmers:
Nearly 1,050 acres of the project land belongs to 915 farmers, much of it fertile and used for cultivating mangoes, litchis, and other crops. This land was falsely declared “barren” to enable acquisition. Many farmers have either not received compensation or were paid outdated rates fixed over a decade ago. A one-time payout does not compensate for the lifelong loss of livelihood and cultural connection to the land. This reflects a deeper pattern where farmers are seen as expendable in the pursuit of profit-driven ‘development’ for capitalists.
Ironically, while the government claims it has no land to distribute to the landless, it is willing to lease thousands of acres virtually free to one of India’s largest conglomerates. The betrayal could not be starker and more brazen.
Environmental Disaster in the Making
The Pirpainti Thermal Power Plant, proposed as a 2,400 MW coal-fired facility, is a disaster for both public health and the environment. The region is already home to the Kahalgaon Super Thermal Power Station, and adding another coal plant will intensify existing pollution.
Bhagalpur has repeatedly ranked 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 31st globally. Increasing coal combustion in this already polluted zone will severely damage air and water quality, worsen respiratory diseases, and undermine the well-being of millions; especially the most vulnerable.
Adding to the disaster is the planned felling of 10 lakh trees, which will have irreversible impacts on the Ganga basin ecosystem. Bhagalpur lies on the banks of the Ganga, a river already under extreme stress. Projects like these directly threaten its fragile ecology, violating the spirit of ‘river conservation missions’ the government claims to support.
Contradictions with Green Energy Goals
The Pirpainti project flies in the face of India’s climate commitments under the Paris Agreement, its Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), and its stated target to reach Net Zero by 2070. Both the government of India and the Bihar state government have spoken of supporting renewable energy transitions, yet their actions expose a contradictory and dangerous path of deepening fossil fuel dependence.
Globally, the writing is clear: new coal power is incompatible with the climate goals required to avoid catastrophic warming. India cannot claim global climate leadership while expanding its coal infrastructure domestically.
The National Alliance of People’s Movements has called for an immediate reversal of this destructive decision and stands in solidarity with the affected agrarian communities in Bhagalpur and across Bihar. NAPM has demanded:
- Scrap the Pirpainti Thermal Power Project immediately, as it violates climate, environmental and social justice norms.
- Return the acquired land to the affected farmers, and ensure full rehabilitation and compensation for any harm already done.
- Stop promoting false solutions like new coal plants in the name of development — coal is incompatible with India’s NDCs, Net Zero targets, and the Paris Agreement.
- Halt all projects that threaten the ecology of the Ganga basin — Bhagalpur is not just a city, but a lifeline zone on the banks of a critically endangered river.
- Stop using environmental destruction as a political tool — the rushed and hushed nature of this project just before elections must be exposed and opposed.
- Shift focus to decentralized, renewable energy solutions that create dignified employment, protect health, and ensure long-term sustainability for Bihar and beyond.
NAPM has urged civil society, farmers’ organisations, climate groups, and all justice-loving citizens to speak out against this destructive model of ‘development’ and stand for alternatives rooted in dignity, ecology, and equity.