Jharkhand village farmers stage unique water protest

Farmers of Dimnah village in Jharkhand's Singhbhum District stood in waist-deep water to highlight the hardships they are facing due to a dam construction project.

Claiming that their lands had been acquired without proper compensation, the farmers resolved to hold such protests in the river for two days, where the water level has risen drastically due to the construction of the dam.

They claimed that rising water levels have damaged their paddy fields.

"We had sown seeds for paddy crops in our fields which have been submerged in the water. Indeed, we are totally aggrieved over these trends," said Sumitra Singh, a young girl of a farmer's family,"

"Our lands have been taken away from us for making the Dimnah Dam. Our fields have been stagnated by rising water levels. We have incurred substantial losses and are holding a protest to demand compensation," said Arjun, a farmer.

According to villagers, officials of Tata Steel have acquired village land to build a dam. Tata Steel had promised adequate compensation, but seems to have reneged on the commitment.