1.5 mg/l is harmful and causes fluorosis. High
fluoride problem is encountered in Jhabua,
Mandla, Chhindwara and Shivpuri and in isolated pockets in Shajapur, Satna, Guna, Jabalpur,
Vidisha, Sehore, Ujjain, Seoni, Datia, Gwalior,
Rajgarh, Shahdol, Bhind, Dhar and Morena districts. Sulfate contents are generally low except
in few places. Maximum 900 mg/l SO 4 is found
in Bhind district. At Chhindwara, Dewas, Indore,
Rewa and Satna district SO 4 contents are around
300–400 mg/l.
9.14 Rehabilitation
and Resettlement
of the Affected Population
By 2015, there are 22 major, 90 minor and 4804
minor completed/under construction irrigation
projects in Madhya Pradesh. Most of the major
projects are located in the Narmada valley and the
Chambal valley. Most of these projects are fraught
with serious issues related to massive displacement, forest submergence, poor rehabilitation and
resettlement, tribal issues and forest rights, reservoir fishing leases, legal and procedural issues etc.
As an example, situation of rehabilitation and
resettlement of the families displaced in the Narmada Valley Development Project, one of the
world’s largest multipurpose projects, is presented. For almost three decades now agitations
have been going on against Madhya Pradesh
government’s poor rehabilitation and resettlement. In one of the latest episodes, in August
2012, several affected people from Omakareshwar and Indira Sagar Dams undertook a Jal
Satyagrah for 17 days together against absence of
rehabilitation. The Supreme Court issued a show
cause notice to MP Government. The Sardar
Sarovar is one of the 30 dam-based projects of the
valley. Over last 30 years, the project has been in
the news due to the controversy over the enormous social, cultural and environmental costs and
displacement and dislocation in large scales. It is
said to be one of the most ambitious river valley
projects in modern Indian history. The height of
Sardar Sarovar dam, located in the rift valley, was
raised in phases from 95 to 100 m in May 2003,
110 to 110.64 m in March, 2004, later to 119 m in
March 2006 and up to 121.92 m by end of 2006,
where it stood, before fresh construction started in
late 2014 to take the height to 138.68 m. At its
final height of 138.68 m, the reservoir itself is
supposed to submerge over 37,500 hectares of
land (20,822 ha in M.P., 9590 ha in Maharashtra
and 7112 ha in Gujarat) in 245 villages in Gujarat
(19), Maharashtra (33) and Madhya Pradesh
(193), including over 13,300 hectares of biodiversity rich forest land, as per official estimates.
As a result of the increased height, the backwater
levels have also gone up, inundating many villages and hamlets. The number of displaced
families from these 245 villages has been conservatively estimated at over 48,000 in the three
states who are yet to be settled as per guidelines of
the Narmada Water Disputes Tribunal.
The Central Fact Finding Committee (CFFC
2015) after visiting the Narmada Valley presented
its report regarding this issue and highlights the
gravity of the situation and concerns of the
affected people. As per report, many of the villages
submerged/being
submerged
are
adivasi/tribal villages. For example, out of the 193
villages affected by SSP in Madhya Pradesh, 70
are fully tribal villages. Thousands of families,
especially the tribals, fisher folk, landless poor
who are under the threat of imminent inundation
and thus forcible displacement, are not being
given any alternative place to live, as also, alternative land and livelihood sources, in many cases.
The essential components of land-based rehabilitation for even those recognized as projectaffected are not being implemented. Cultivable,
irrigable lands are not located nor purchased by
the Governments. Several thousands of people,
whose houses and lands are in reality getting
submerged during high flood levels, are not even
recognized as project affected families/ persons.
The rehabilitation sites chosen/ identified by the
governments are in extremely poor conditions,
having no adequate facilities for people to live
there as per the NWDT norms, with poor water
supply, broken roads, no electricity, and nonexistent or pathetic education and health facilities.
120
S. K. Sharma
fluoride problem is encountered in Jhabua,
Mandla, Chhindwara and Shivpuri and in isolated pockets in Shajapur, Satna, Guna, Jabalpur,
Vidisha, Sehore, Ujjain, Seoni, Datia, Gwalior,
Rajgarh, Shahdol, Bhind, Dhar and Morena districts. Sulfate contents are generally low except
in few places. Maximum 900 mg/l SO 4 is found
in Bhind district. At Chhindwara, Dewas, Indore,
Rewa and Satna district SO 4 contents are around
300–400 mg/l.
9.14 Rehabilitation
and Resettlement
of the Affected Population
By 2015, there are 22 major, 90 minor and 4804
minor completed/under construction irrigation
projects in Madhya Pradesh. Most of the major
projects are located in the Narmada valley and the
Chambal valley. Most of these projects are fraught
with serious issues related to massive displacement, forest submergence, poor rehabilitation and
resettlement, tribal issues and forest rights, reservoir fishing leases, legal and procedural issues etc.
As an example, situation of rehabilitation and
resettlement of the families displaced in the Narmada Valley Development Project, one of the
world’s largest multipurpose projects, is presented. For almost three decades now agitations
have been going on against Madhya Pradesh
government’s poor rehabilitation and resettlement. In one of the latest episodes, in August
2012, several affected people from Omakareshwar and Indira Sagar Dams undertook a Jal
Satyagrah for 17 days together against absence of
rehabilitation. The Supreme Court issued a show
cause notice to MP Government. The Sardar
Sarovar is one of the 30 dam-based projects of the
valley. Over last 30 years, the project has been in
the news due to the controversy over the enormous social, cultural and environmental costs and
displacement and dislocation in large scales. It is
said to be one of the most ambitious river valley
projects in modern Indian history. The height of
Sardar Sarovar dam, located in the rift valley, was
raised in phases from 95 to 100 m in May 2003,
110 to 110.64 m in March, 2004, later to 119 m in
March 2006 and up to 121.92 m by end of 2006,
where it stood, before fresh construction started in
late 2014 to take the height to 138.68 m. At its
final height of 138.68 m, the reservoir itself is
supposed to submerge over 37,500 hectares of
land (20,822 ha in M.P., 9590 ha in Maharashtra
and 7112 ha in Gujarat) in 245 villages in Gujarat
(19), Maharashtra (33) and Madhya Pradesh
(193), including over 13,300 hectares of biodiversity rich forest land, as per official estimates.
As a result of the increased height, the backwater
levels have also gone up, inundating many villages and hamlets. The number of displaced
families from these 245 villages has been conservatively estimated at over 48,000 in the three
states who are yet to be settled as per guidelines of
the Narmada Water Disputes Tribunal.
The Central Fact Finding Committee (CFFC
2015) after visiting the Narmada Valley presented
its report regarding this issue and highlights the
gravity of the situation and concerns of the
affected people. As per report, many of the villages
submerged/being
submerged
are
adivasi/tribal villages. For example, out of the 193
villages affected by SSP in Madhya Pradesh, 70
are fully tribal villages. Thousands of families,
especially the tribals, fisher folk, landless poor
who are under the threat of imminent inundation
and thus forcible displacement, are not being
given any alternative place to live, as also, alternative land and livelihood sources, in many cases.
The essential components of land-based rehabilitation for even those recognized as projectaffected are not being implemented. Cultivable,
irrigable lands are not located nor purchased by
the Governments. Several thousands of people,
whose houses and lands are in reality getting
submerged during high flood levels, are not even
recognized as project affected families/ persons.
The rehabilitation sites chosen/ identified by the
governments are in extremely poor conditions,
having no adequate facilities for people to live
there as per the NWDT norms, with poor water
supply, broken roads, no electricity, and nonexistent or pathetic education and health facilities.
120
S. K. Sharma