resettled
Indira Sagar Dam
and
the
entire
process
of
rehabilitation was in shambles.
The Indira Sagar project in Surat at Punasa
There were several discrepancies in the lists
is the other major project proposed in the
of Project Affected People. While the policy
Narmada basin with the largest storage
clearly states a "land for land" position, the
capacity in the country.
The project is
government has violated this by not
located near Punasa village in Khandwa
providing alternate land and introducing
district, M.P. This multipurpose river valley
cash for land. The policy states that the
project envisages construction of a concrete
valuation of land is to be based on the value
gravity dam, 653 m long and 92 m high,
of similar land in the command area, but this
with gross storage capacity of the reservoir
has not been the case. The land has been
of 12.22 km3, and live storage of 9.75 km3 to
grossly under valued. The principle of
provide an annual irrigation potential of
community rehabilitation had also not been
2
1690 km and a generation of 1000 MW of
honoured.
hydropower.
The project also ensures
Landless labourers have been compensated
supply of 7,40,00,000 m3 of drinking water
only with cash and no sources of alternate
to rural areas in Khandwa district.
In
means of livelihood have been envisaged. A
Water
Special Rehabilitation Package has also
Development Tribunal Award, an annual
been declared for the farmers and the
regulated flow of 10.02 km3 shall be
landless labourers. However, even this has
released to the Sarder Sarover project. The
not been sufficient to help the people
operation of Indira Sager project will be
rehabilitate themselves. Compensation for
carried out in such a way so as to facilitate
house and houseplots were not sufficient.
the regulation of Sarder Sarover project.
Rehabilitation sites that had been 'developed'
accordance
with
Narmada
were inadequate, both with respect to the
Manthan Adhyayan Kendra had conducted
number of sites as well as the civic
an investigation about the situation of
amenities that were 'provided' at these sites.
village Jabgaon, one of the villages to be
Corruption at each level of the p rocess of
submerged by the Indira Sagar Pariyojana.
resettlement and rehabilitation was reported
The team found that the village has been
8
Integrated River Basin Management Society