 "NBA intensifies Jal Satyagrah, govt refuses to reduce water level")
Terming the state government's move to raise the water level of the Omkareshwar project, Narmada Bachao Andolan (NBA) has refused to take land offered to the affected people by Narmada Valley Development Authority. The outfit claims that the government shows complete lack of concern for the affected inhabitants of the region, who have been observing "Jal Satyagarh" for the past 25 days in the tail waters of the project.
The NBA and some of the affected people in Bhopal today warned that they had little option left but to commit suicide.
The battle the NBA has waged against the "faulty" rehabilitation and resettlement programme of the government has entered the 26th day today. Meanwhile Narmada Valley Development Authority, a state government agency responsible for rehabilitation of the affected people today said the NBA and affected people have once again refused to accept land in Tendukheda area of Narsinghpur district (450 km from Omkareshwar dam site).
"They have refused to accept the land despite government's willingness to offer land for land. The Tendukheda land, according to prescribed collector guidelines, carries a market value of Rs 10-12 lakh per acre, and is much higher than the cash compensation the affected families would get. It is known as the best land in the state," Rajneesh Vaish, vice-chairman (rehabilitation) of Narmada Valley Development Authority told BS.
As many as 65 affected people have been partially submerging themselves in the tail waters of Omkareshwar reservoir since April 11, to observe Jal Satyagrah against the government's decision to raise the reservoir level height from 189 meter to 191 meter.
"Twenty of the affected are now in critical condition but state chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan is not listening to us," Palit said. “We want the government to bring the water level down to 189 meters from 191, and not raise the water level since rehabilitation has not been completed yet. It is a clear violation of Supreme Court orders that water level cannot be raised before completion of rehabilitation. The government should offer at least five acres of land to each affected person, or cash against the land at prevailing market rates," she allegedly pressed for demands.
The chief minister has already clarified that his government would not bring down the water level of the reservoir down since a large number of farmers are benefitting from it. "We would even raise the height to 196.6 meters -- the full reservoir limit -- in the interest of large number of farmers. We cannot run the irrigation canal if the water level goes down from the present level of 191 meters," Chouhan had said earlier last month.
Chouhan clarified the canal irrigate a huge land area up to 65 km and thousands of farmers are cultivating summer crops this year. "We would not bring down the level of reservoir," Vaish said. On being asked why the government has raised the level before completion of rehabilitation, he said "There are 213 families who had already accepted cash and other grants but now they want to surrender compensation and demanding land against land. We have agreed upon and have shown them land areas at different location but they do not want to accept any land."
On offering the affected people non-agriculture land Vaish clarified and asked, "Would it be possible that of the 5000 hectares of land we have in our land bank, not even a single acre is arable?"
The affected farmers came to Bhopal and warned the government was leaving them with no option but to commit suicide. "They have paid us a niggardly amount of money," Mansharam of Ekhand village said and warned, "I have left with no option but to end life."
Omkareshwar dam is a 520-Mw hydel power-cum-irrigation project on Narmada River in west Madhya Pradesh. It is a joint venture project of National Hydro Power Corporation (NHPC) Limited and state government. Another project Indira Sagar is also in close proximity of the project churns 1,000 Mw power. The joint venture has earned cash revenue of Rs 1,369.11 crore during 2013-14.
The NBA and some of the affected people in Bhopal today warned that they had little option left but to commit suicide.
The battle the NBA has waged against the "faulty" rehabilitation and resettlement programme of the government has entered the 26th day today. Meanwhile Narmada Valley Development Authority, a state government agency responsible for rehabilitation of the affected people today said the NBA and affected people have once again refused to accept land in Tendukheda area of Narsinghpur district (450 km from Omkareshwar dam site).
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"We have refused the land since it is not arable land. They do not have arable land anywhere," Chitrupa Palit, an activist of NBA said here.
"They have refused to accept the land despite government's willingness to offer land for land. The Tendukheda land, according to prescribed collector guidelines, carries a market value of Rs 10-12 lakh per acre, and is much higher than the cash compensation the affected families would get. It is known as the best land in the state," Rajneesh Vaish, vice-chairman (rehabilitation) of Narmada Valley Development Authority told BS.
As many as 65 affected people have been partially submerging themselves in the tail waters of Omkareshwar reservoir since April 11, to observe Jal Satyagrah against the government's decision to raise the reservoir level height from 189 meter to 191 meter.
"Twenty of the affected are now in critical condition but state chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan is not listening to us," Palit said. “We want the government to bring the water level down to 189 meters from 191, and not raise the water level since rehabilitation has not been completed yet. It is a clear violation of Supreme Court orders that water level cannot be raised before completion of rehabilitation. The government should offer at least five acres of land to each affected person, or cash against the land at prevailing market rates," she allegedly pressed for demands.
The chief minister has already clarified that his government would not bring down the water level of the reservoir down since a large number of farmers are benefitting from it. "We would even raise the height to 196.6 meters -- the full reservoir limit -- in the interest of large number of farmers. We cannot run the irrigation canal if the water level goes down from the present level of 191 meters," Chouhan had said earlier last month.
Chouhan clarified the canal irrigate a huge land area up to 65 km and thousands of farmers are cultivating summer crops this year. "We would not bring down the level of reservoir," Vaish said. On being asked why the government has raised the level before completion of rehabilitation, he said "There are 213 families who had already accepted cash and other grants but now they want to surrender compensation and demanding land against land. We have agreed upon and have shown them land areas at different location but they do not want to accept any land."
On offering the affected people non-agriculture land Vaish clarified and asked, "Would it be possible that of the 5000 hectares of land we have in our land bank, not even a single acre is arable?"
The affected farmers came to Bhopal and warned the government was leaving them with no option but to commit suicide. "They have paid us a niggardly amount of money," Mansharam of Ekhand village said and warned, "I have left with no option but to end life."
Omkareshwar dam is a 520-Mw hydel power-cum-irrigation project on Narmada River in west Madhya Pradesh. It is a joint venture project of National Hydro Power Corporation (NHPC) Limited and state government. Another project Indira Sagar is also in close proximity of the project churns 1,000 Mw power. The joint venture has earned cash revenue of Rs 1,369.11 crore during 2013-14.