Police on Monday thwarted suicide attempts by 12 persons who were affected by the Narmada Dam project and arrested them after they tried to jump into the Narmada canal near the district’s Naswadi village.
Demanding jobs and restoration to compensate for the ancestral lands they were forced to give up for the Narmada Dam project, the 12 persons, including a woman, went to the canal and threatened suicide if their demands were not met, a police official said.
“They belong to project-affected families who wanted jobs as well as land, as compensation for what they surrendered for the Narmada Dam project in Kevadia to the Sardar Sarovar Narmada Nigam Limited,” Naswadi Circle Police Inspector B.M. Vasava said.
After gathering at the canal, all of them jumped into it to protest against the compensation given by SSNL.
However, local policemen pulled them out of the canal and arrested them. “All of them were rescued and sent to the hospital for treatment,” Mr. Vasava said.
Rehab process started The 12, along with others, were shifted to Baroli-based settlements in south Gujarat as part of the State government’s rehabilitation programme for project-affected people.
One of them said: “Benefits should be given to all members of project-affected families, as five acres of land given to one family member is not enough to sustain the entire family.”
3 years to completion Work up to the height of 121.92 metres on the Narmada Dam was completed six years ago. Installation of radial gates on the dam is currently underway, likely to be completed in about three years, taking its height to 138 metres.
