Protest on at Omkareshwar project site

Allegedly displaced due to the 520 Mw Omkareshwar power project of the MP government, members of 22 families of Gunjari village in Khandwa district have adopted a unique method of protest by stationing themselves in water (of the Narmada).

The state government-NHPC joint venture company, National Hydro Development Corporation, has started filling the reservoir up to 189 metres.

In their view, the state government, by remaining non-committal on the issue, is violating the right to life under Article 21 of the Constitution and Article 300 A of the Constitution, which states that "no person shall be deprived of his property save by the authority of law".

"Their condition is critical. Their skins have turned white," said Chitrupa Palit, a Narmada Bachao Andolan activist, adding, "the Jabalpur High Court has ordered the state government to file a reply on June 22. We hope a verdict also comes on the same day in favour of the affected people."

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan sent Power Minister Kailash Vijayvergiya to the site to look into the problems of the affected people.

"In their affidavits in the High Court and Supreme Court, the MP government and the NHDC said of the 30 villages, only five villages would be submerged when the height of dam is 189 metres and the other 25 villages will not be affected. They also stated that even among these five villages, Gunjari would not be affected. But the truth is that the 22 families were denied compensation after having been served notice under Section 9 of the Land Acquisition Act 1894 twice," Palit said.

Section 9 of the Land Acquisition Act 1894 says: "The Collector shall cause public notice to be given at convenient places on or near the land to be taken, stating that the Government intends to take possession of the land, and that claims to compensations for all interests in such land may be made to him."