The ‘Jal Satyagraha’ protest led by Narmada Bachao Aandolan founder Medha Patkar, demanding rehabilitation of 40,000 families affected by the Sardar Sarovar dam, entered the third day on Sunday.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the inter-state Sardar Sarovar Dam in Gujarat's Narmada district on Sunday.
With the water level of the dam steadily rising, it is speculated that one town and 192 villages in the region will be submerged under water. Around 40,000 families in the affected villages would have to leave their homes as the danger escalates.
Patkar has alleged that the affected families have not been rehabilitated or paid compensation despite the Supreme Court order.
Describing the development as unfortunate, she has demanded that water supply in the dam be stopped till the rehabilitation was completed.
Taking on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Patkar said the lives of thousands of families in Madhya Pradesh have been put at stake for electoral gains in the coming Gujarat assembly polls.
On Saturday, around 30 women led by Patkar continued their sit-in on the banks of the Narmada river at Chota Barda village in Dhar where the water level is gradually rising.
The rising waters in river Narmada continued to enter into villages, including Rajghat in Barwani district, where the entire bridge connecting with adjoining Dhar district now stands submerged, due to water released from Indira Sagar, Omkareshwar and Maheshwar dams of Madhya Pradesh.
While the NBA activists alleged that life of thousands of people, including farmers, boatmen and fishermen, besides their livestock is in grave danger due to the artificial submergence of the area to fill the SS dam for inauguration, the district administration officials in Barwani said there is no threat to any of the families as off now.
“The old flood danger mark of the river in Chota Barda is 124-plus meters, but as of now despite the river flowing at 129 meters, there is no threat to human life, as most of those left in the area are residing in houses located above the 135-plus meter height. We’ve all made all provisions of boats and disaster response force to deal with any eventuality,” said a senior Government official in Barwani district.