Khandwa:
A group of protesters who have spent the last 17 days in neck-deep water in Madhya Pradesh have accomplished some of their goals today.
Here are the 10 latest developments in this story:
Nearly 50 farmers and activists have been on a "jal satyagraha" in the Khandwa district asking the government to reduce the amount of water in the Omkareshwar dam on the Narmada river.
The protesters say their farmland and villages are being submerged by water and that the government is making no attempt to rehabilitate or compensate them.
The BJP government in the state has agreed to reduce the amount of water in the Omkareshwar dam.
Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan also said that farmers will be given "land for land" compensation - that those whose farms have been affected will be given new pieces of land.
The Omkareshwar dam is linked to a huge power project .
According to the protesters, the government's decision to increase the water level of the dam on the Narmada river without rehabilitating people living in low-lying villages nearby is a violation of a Supreme Court order, which says villagers must be rehabilitated at least six months before such a move is implemented.
A panel of three ministers will supervise the rehabilitation package for farmers
The breakthrough for the farmers comes as a team from the Union Power Ministry was to visit the area.
The Madhya Pradesh government had been criticized for ignoring the farmers and their protests till extensive media coverage turned the demonstration into a national headline
The protest saw farmer in a relay of sorts, with different groups taking turns to immerse themselves in water.
(With inputs from Agencies)Post a comment