In spate
as the waters of Narmada river soar close to the 99-metre mark at the Sardar Sarovar project site, the dam-affected people in Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh find themselves precariously perched again. Amid the highly charged atmosphere, Pradeep Bhargav of the Narmada Valley Development Authority (nvda) declared that all oustees living below the height of 100 metres had been rehabilitated. But the Narmada Bachao Andolan (nba) refuted this claim, pointing out that dozens of villages on the banks of the river faced imminent flooding. Several hamlets were already submerged, asserted the group.
The nba narrated the incident of Chimalkhedi village in Maharashtra, where 74 villagers were arrested on July 28 and forcibly evicted from the nearly submerged village after a two-day stand-off. Later tribals demanded the release of the arrested activists and villagers.
The state government had earlier announced in the legislative assembly that all 234 families in the affected zone had been resettled. The floods, no doubt, shall soon flush out the truth.
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