More than 130 villagers in Madhya Pradesh have been protesting in neck-deep water for almost a fortnight now. They want compensation for their land that got submerged after the height of two dams - Indira Sagar and Omkareshwar Dam - was raised.
The activists say that the dam's water level, which now stands at 193 meters, can washout homes of more than 50,000 people.The villagers have a clear demand - if they are forced to give up their land, they must be compensated with land elsewhere.
"We will protest till our demands are not met and till we don't get our land, even if it risks our lives," said one of the protestors.
"I am ready to die for this cause. I am ready to fast for a year," said another protester.
It has been over a year since the Supreme Court had asked the state government to rehabilitate and compensate the villagers but nothing has been done so far. The Supreme Court judgement also stated that land cannot be submerged prior to compensation. But the Madhya Pradesh government unilaterally decided to raise the level of the Omkareshwar Dam to 191 metre from 189 metre.
Omkarsershwar dam affected people continuously standing in the back water of Narmada river during 'Jal Staygrah' for rehabilitation, organised by Narmada Bachao Andolan activists at village Gogalgaon in Khandwa district in Madhya Pradesh.
Social activists standing in water drums in Bhopal during their protest to support the indefinite 'Jal Satyagrah' agitation of the oustees of Omkareshwar Dam at Narmada river
Jal Satyagraha wins, MP Govt to reduce dam water level
Bowing before the villagers who have standing in neck-deep water for 17 days demanding reduction in the water level of the Omkareshwar dam, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Monday Sep 10,2012 announced the reduction of the water level to 189 metres.CM said in a press conference, “Taking into account of the present situation, the state government has decided to reduce the water level to 189 metres from the current 190.5 metres.”
The Chief Minister also announced that the affected villagers will be given land-for-land within 90 days.
The protesters have called it a "partial victory". They say though that no written communication has been given to them yet. Arun Yadav, the Congress MP from Khandwa, said, "We hope that the statement the government has given, they will actually do it. The people who have lost their land and homes, they should compensated and at the earliest."
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