Narmada Valley Development Authority (NVDA) has said that compensation and all other rehabilitation benefits had already been provided to Indira Sagar Project Affected Families (PAFs) before the year 2009 and on this basis State Government had taken the decision to fill the reservoir up to Full Reservoir level (FRl) (262.13m) after due consultation with Grievance Redressal Authority (GRA) and Central Water Commission (CWC).
The fact is that as per directions of High Court on the petition filed by Narmada Bachao Andolan Geological Survey of India (GSI) and CWC had surveyed the reservoir area and on the basis of their survey rehabilitation benefits were provided to additional eligible PAFs.
last year after filling reservoir upto FRl for the first time some additional land was also acquired and PAFs were given benefits looking to ground situation. Wherever village roads and culverts were needed sanction of Rs 70 crore had been accorded for works. In this situation there remains no reason to demand for keeping reservoir empty. Moreover there is no ban from any side on filling the reservoir.
It is worth to know that an amount of Rs 88 508.44 lakh had been disbursed to Indira Sagar PAFs. Besides an amount of Rs 27 375.98 lakh were provided as rehabilitation and transport grant. Over and above the compensation of agriculture land an amount of Rs 23 349.49 lakh was provided to land owners as special rehabilitation grant.
The Indira Sagar Project after fillings its reservoir to FRl has capacity to generate 1000 MW power and potential to irrigate 1.23 lac hectare agriculture land. The NVDA has appealed to the villagers not to be misguided and look into facts in the larger interest of the State. The Government is committed to extend full benefits of the project to the people.