BHIMGARH DAM SANGHARSH SAMITI DIST. SIVNI, M.P.
The Sanjay Sarovar dam was constructed on the Bainganga river, work began in 1976, 12 villages were uprooted. People faced many difficulties when the blasting was being done, and they got a mere 7 days’ notice to move from there. The notice said that people would be responsible for whatever happened if they did not move. Out of fear people left their property and lived for months under neem, mahuva or mango trees. Later in 1984 when the gates were closed people had been completely displaced. No provisions had been made for them…People migrated, communities broke up. Families also broke up. No rehabilitation has been done as yet. People have been given 5 acres of land. They did put up a stiff resistance. Some got more, some less, others nothing. The compensation received was very low, ranging between Rs. 500-1500 per acre, this was true even for villages where land productivity was higher. The village of the Home Minister got higher amounts as compensation. Political parties carried out an andolan, collected Rs. 15 per acre from each family and became leaders. That was the end of the andolan. People did not get anything -1500 persons courted arrest, but returned empty-handed. People lost faith. We began work in 1990 under the banner of Ekta Parishad. We also had limitations and could not succeed there. Now we have begun negotiations with the sarkar, to give people’s suggestions for rehabilitation. There is a provision of Rs. 36 lakhs for rehabilitation. But we think that Rs. 36 lakhs are less than the milk offered as prasad to the devi! 17 acres of land next to the canal is to be used to make a model town for shramik mazdoors. Rs. 17 lakhs are slated for this model town. We do not think the project will be completed. 115 persons were given 209 hectares of land according to an award passed by the Collector: till today they have no idea where the land is. In this context, we had organised a delegation to meet the Collector. He initiated monthly meetings. We also met the SDM. As a result, work on basic infrastructure has begun and they have to give progress reports every month. Our main demands are 5 acres land for every adult, Rs. 2700 as compensation, the unequal compensation to be evened out, priority to be given to educated adults amongst the oustees in terms of employment. And fishing rights in the dam to be given to oustees. They have agreed to include these demands in the Goria Committee. The SDM and Collector had come for a meeting held with Medhaben, the Bargi and Bhimgarh dam oustees. The rehabilitation policy now includes the oustees of these two dams. We had clearly put our point about displacement and land compensation. They assured us that everybody would be given equal compensation. They have agreed to Rs. 2700 as compensation in principle. But the proposal has gone to the Mahasachivalaya in Bhopal. It has not been passed yet. Our irrigation officers told us that 864 out of 987 families have been rehabilitated. But we disagree. To find the correct numbers, teams have been made to conduct village surveys. The teams comprise of one patwari, one irrigation official, one displacement supervisor and 10 of our representatives. Our survey has many columns and will take 2 months to complete. The head of the household, 18-year-old adults, daughters in law, sons, mazdoors, adopted children, daughters and their children are all to be counted as oustees. Because even if a person has not been directly displaced, they would still have rights over the property. This much has been accepted by the authorities. But the sarkar says 987 families have been affected, we say more than that have been displaced.12 villages have been displaced and a total of 26 villages have been approximately affected. There is more submergence than is projected. We think that the government figures are wrong. The Sivni District Collector has accepted that as in Bargi, here too, they do not have a true estimate. Compensation for 45 ha of the canal has now been stopped. It has been undervalued, as in Bargi. In our struggle we faced problems because of the 1984 andolan, when many leaders cheated the people. They used to think that we would do the same thing. But now they come with us. The authorities are also sympathetic now. They tell us if you don’t carry on an andolan we will solve your problems. But for four demands we will have to start an andolan… This is one of the biggest earthen dams in M.P.