Central Indian Rains and Submergence of Villages in Narmada Valley
 |
| TIMELINE OF MONSOON 2012 |
[Download pictures from http://www.napm-india.org/node/764 as attached with PR]
INCESSANT
RAINS AND ILLEGAL SUBMERGENCE IN NARMADA VALLEY
Standing
crop under waters & threat to habitats looms large
Oustees
challenge utter lack of rehabilitation : 177 villages in M.P. face
submergence threat at present dam height of 122 mts
8th
August, 2012; Narmada Valley:
As heavy rains continue to lash across the Narmada valley, the
imminent threat of submergence is turning out to become true in
village after village, both in Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra. With
the gates of the upstream dams having been opened up, the oustees in
the Sardar Sarovar region have been pushed into a situation of
serious jeopardy by the authorities. The incessant rains over the
past few days has led to submergence of standing chilli, maize,
jowar, cotton and other crops in many villages in the
agriculture-rich plain areas of the Nimad region, such as Pichhodi,
Kasravad, Bhilkheda, Rajghat, Chhota Barda, Pendra, Amlali etc. Hilly
adivasi villages in the Badwani and Alirajpur Tehsils such as Kharya
Bhadal, Kakrana, Bhitada, Anjanwara and villages in Maharashtra such
as Chimalkhedi, Danel etc. are also having to face the brunt of
submergence, while hundreds of oustees in these villages remain to be
rehabilitated as per law.
At
the present dam height of 122 mts, there are 177 villages in M.P.
that face the risk of submergence and not less than 30,000 – 35,000
families, dependent on farming, fishing, pottery, labour work etc.
living in the thickly populated original villages. Most of these
oustees belong to vulnerable adivasi, dalit and other socially and
economically marginalized communities. Shockingly, the Narmada
Control Authority, which is responsible for monitoring the complete
and timely attainment of land and livelihood based rehabilitation of
the Sardar Sarovar Project affected families, has, once again claimed
in its ‘Annual Report 2010- 2011’ that the balance number of
families to be resettled in the three states is ‘0’. When
thousands of families await lawful rehabilitation and are now facing
the risk of submergence, such irresponsible and grossly false
reporting by the project and monitoring authorities is nothing short
of a ‘crime
against humanity’.
The
oustees of Pichhodi, for instance, has been demanding alternative
land at Khalbujurg, as per the Judgement of the Supreme Court, 2005.
However, the NVDA has not been able to give the oustees pattas
and
possession of this land, due to pressure from the erstwhile owners,
who have already been doubly compensated for the land acquired from
them. Every year; last year, and again this year, the standing crops
of the adivasis of Pichhodi have been submerged. Water has reached
the doorstep. But not a single paisa of relief has been provided to
the oustees by the state government. In Chhota Barda, the entire fish
workers’ settlement has been evacuated, but the actual issue of
alternative livelihood i.e. fishing rights in the reservoir and
recognition of the fish workers co-operatives, guaranteeing the right
to rehabilitation of thousands of fish workers is not yet ensured.
The
present situation only betrays serious lack of concern by the
authorities that are responsible for ensuring the safety, well-being
and rights of the project – affected families. Field-investigations
by Justice Jha Commission of Inquiry, on the other hand reveals the
absolutely pathetic situation of the resettlement sites, where there
are no basic amenities and alternative livelihood ready for the
families to be resettled. The
oustee are determined to challenge the illegality of submergence and
shall not remain rats in the face of government–imposed crisis, but
turn into lions for attainment of their rights.
Bhagirath
Kavche, Kailash Yadav ,Pokhar Girwar, Lashyabai
Contact
Ph:
09423965153 / 09179148973
--
===============================================
Ph: 022-24150529
6/6, Jangpura B, Mathura Road, New Delhi 110014
Phone : 011 26241167 / 24354737 Mobile : 09818905316
Web : www.napm-india.org
posted by Ramaswami Ashok Kumar at 2:14 PM
0 comments
