Sardar Sarovar Dam ; a curse for many, locals in Dhar, Barwani and Khargone district of MP are badly affected
The first Prime Minister of India established the foundation for Sardar Sarovar Dam in 1961 but Building of the Sardar Sarovar Dam faced various socio-economic and environmental hurdles and finally it is completed and inaugurated by recent Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Megha Patkar,a activist for Narmada bachao Andolan raises the issues of affected time to time.
Currently a very sad news came up ,As many as 160 villages in MP’s South West districts like Dhar, Barwani, Khargone were submerged after Sardar Sarovar Dam built on Narmada River in Gujarat, filled to the brim. Later, the water of Indra Sagar Dam was released without any advance warning leading to the submergence of dozens of villages within two hours, says the NBA.
Even after two weeks, relief work has yet to begin. While in some villages its running at a snail’s pace. Many villages, with their animals, are taking shelters in tin-shed facilities of the Government. Demanding relief work and compensation, the villagers under the leadership of Megha Patkar are staging a protest at Bhopal’s Neelam Park for the last two days. Patkar said, many villages who have submerged were mischievously kept out of the compensation list.
Notably says that most affected people by development induced migration are belongs to schedule caste and scheduled tribes. It will be notes that Madhyapradesh assembly election is going to be held in November- December this year. And SCs and STs comprises 82 seats in assembly out of total 230 seats. Then it is the time which will decide whether this Sardar Sarovar Dam issue will become main stream issue or not?
