Despite rising water level at the Omkareshwar dam reservoir, 22 families continued their protest in front of their flooded homes in Gunjari in Madhya Pradesh. Worried that the resistance would snowball into a major crisis, the state Government sent a minister to try and convince them to withdraw their Narmada Bachao Andolan (NBA)-backed agitation. The Supreme Court had last week given the go-ahead for increasing the water intake at the reservoir up to 189 m while staying an order of the Madhya Pradesh High Court that had restrained the state from raising the water level till the rehabilitation of the project-affected families was completed. The High Court will take up the matter for final hearing on Tuesday. On Monday afternoon, the reservoir level stood at 188.25 m. Refusing to move, the families wanted a rehabilitation package similar to the one given to other project-affected families. The Narmada Valley Development Corporation, however, claimed that all the eligible families in the village had long been rehabilitated and the claims of the 22 families were rejected on March 14, 2005. They had been asked to submit proof that they occupied their houses before September 5, 2003, the day notices were served under Section 4 of the Land Acquisition Act. These families could not provide such proof because their dwellings were constructed later, maintained an NVDA official. In a counter allegation, NBA sources said the families were denied compensation by corrupt officials, who sought money to include their names in the list of the beneficiaries. The NBA’s Alok Agrawal claimed the Government falsely submitted that these 22 families would not be affected even when the water rose to 189 m. The houses were submerged much before that level was reached, the NBA said. A government official who visited Gunjari a couple of days ago was met by angry villagers. Sensing the mood of the locals the administration chose not to use force to evict them. Police have been posted in the area as the standoff between them, the NBA and the Government continues.“They are simply not ready for talks,” said PWD Minister Kailash Vijayvargiya, deputed by Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan to end the stalemate. “The villagers cannot be given the rehabilitation package because they are technically not affected by the dam project,” said an NVDA official. The Government has instead offered to compensate the villagers under Section 64 of the Revenue Book Circular, besides giving them plots under the Indira Awas Yojana.
