Jal Satyagraha came to an end after 17 days demonstration on a victory note

The most outstanding demonstrations of its own kind in Khandawa district of Madhya Pradesh named Jal Satyagraha continued for 17 days at Omkareshwar Dam Project came to an end on 10 September 2012. Across 1000 acres of cultivatable land has been submerged into water with at least 60 odd villages that will not be visible in the map of India any more. The Satygrahis demanded land for the land compensation following the ruling of Supreme Court.

The oustees in the satyagraha remained standing in the neck deep water with demands like lowering down the level of water stored in the dam to 189 meters and to provide land for land compensation, ended the battle on the victory note.

A high level committee has been constituted to hear the grievances of the dam effected people. The constituted committee will comprise of Minister of State for Narmada Valley Development K.L. Agrawal, SC-ST Welfare Minister Kunwar Vijay Shah, Commerce and Industries Minister Kailash Vijaywargiya, Principal Secretary, Narmada Valley Development Rajneesh Vaish and the Indore Divisional Commissioner.

Jal Satyagraha

Jal Satyagraha is a type of Satyagraha in which 51 farmers from Khandwa district of Madhya Pradesh stood in the neck dip water of Omkareshwar Dam for 17 days continuously asking for their rehabilitation.

In this unique way of demonstration by the agitators of Khandwa region of Madhya Pradesh against the state government demanding for their rehabilitation after their lands and homes were flooded off by the Omkareshwar Dam water. The Satyagrahis demanded for the compensation as per the ruling of the Supreme Court. The agitators termed as Jal Satyagrahis made a decision to stand in neck deep water of the dam, all wet and damp.

Omkareshwar Dam Project

Omkareshwar Dam Project is a 520 MW project constructed by the Narmada Hydroelectric Development Corporation in joint venture with Madhya Pradesh Government and NHPC is among the biggest dam on Narmada River. The Omkareshwar project area, lies in between the banks of the two important rivers of India, Narmada and Kaveri (it’s a tributary to Narmada). It was conceived as an irrigation and power dam to be built in the state of Madhya Pradesh in the year 1965. The project is one of the fasted completed hydroelectric projects of the country in between 2004 and 2006.  The project has benefitted about 529 villages with irrigation facilities and has helped in raising the yield to .725 million tons of grains along with .835 million ton of other crops in the region.