Supreme Court declines extension in NBA case

Families displaced due to the Sardar Sarovar dam got no relief from the Supreme Court as it declined to extend the July 31 deadline to rehablitate the families.

The Narmada Bachao Andolan (NBA) had approached the apex court claiming that the court-directed rehabilitation by the states was not complete. The NBA which has been fighting for the cause since over three-decades, say that over 40,000 families will be affected as the backwaters of the dam rises, threatening it with submergence. The lowering of the gates and impounding of water up to the full reservoir level is also going to submerge 192 villages across three districts in Madhya Pradesh, affecting nearly 2.5 lakh people who have been declared as project affected.

The NBA also said that activist Medha Patkar, who was on an indefinite fast since the past 12 days, was forcibly removed by the Madhya Pradesh(MP) police from the site at Chikaldha, Dhar district in MP.

An apex court bench led by Chief Justice of India JS Khehar ordered a compensation of Rs 60 lakh to each family under the special compensation package. Those under the same package owning two hectares of land are to be paid Rs. 45 lakhs. Whereas at least 1385 families would be paid Rs. 50 lakh each.