The Vidarbha Irrigation Development Corporation (VIDC) has finally lost patience and started storing water in phase I of Gosikhurd reservoir even though many project affected persons (PAPs) are still living there. The authorities realised that if they started storing water, the villages would get submerged and the PAPs would be forced to abandon their homes. The VIDC is under tremendous pressure from central government to increase water level in the dam.
The VIDC has started storing water from October 31, which has affected Gadeghat village. The low lying areas of the village were under two feet water. By evening the water level had increased further forcing residents to abandon their homes. Jiwnapur and Nawegaon-Sirsi would start getting submerged from tomorrow, said PAPs Gulab Meshram and Siddhartha Meshram.
Leader of Gosikhurd PAPs Vilas Bhongade told TOI that VIDC had used police force to threaten the villagers. "On October 19 cops had gone to Gadeghat. PAP leader Ramesh Gedam told them not to raze their houses. However, the cops took him away in a jeep and razed his house," Bhongade said.
"Heart-rending scenes were witnessed in Gadeghat. Snehal Gedam and Swapnil Gedam were taking out materials used in the house. Mangal Mangar overloaded with his belongings was finding it difficult to come out of his house. Usha Tirpude was wailing how she would ferry her cattle through the knee deep water. Pralhad Mangar was weeping bitterly over loss of his paddy crop," he said.
Gulab Meshram said that 900 families living outside the gaothan limits were not given compensation for the land on which their houses stood but only for their houses. "93 villages will be completely relocated while another 107 will be partially affected. If this is happening to a few people, think about the calamity to befall on remaining thousands," he said.
The VIDC has started storing water from October 31, which has affected Gadeghat village. The low lying areas of the village were under two feet water. By evening the water level had increased further forcing residents to abandon their homes. Jiwnapur and Nawegaon-Sirsi would start getting submerged from tomorrow, said PAPs Gulab Meshram and Siddhartha Meshram.
Leader of Gosikhurd PAPs Vilas Bhongade told TOI that VIDC had used police force to threaten the villagers. "On October 19 cops had gone to Gadeghat. PAP leader Ramesh Gedam told them not to raze their houses. However, the cops took him away in a jeep and razed his house," Bhongade said.
"Heart-rending scenes were witnessed in Gadeghat. Snehal Gedam and Swapnil Gedam were taking out materials used in the house. Mangal Mangar overloaded with his belongings was finding it difficult to come out of his house. Usha Tirpude was wailing how she would ferry her cattle through the knee deep water. Pralhad Mangar was weeping bitterly over loss of his paddy crop," he said.
Gulab Meshram said that 900 families living outside the gaothan limits were not given compensation for the land on which their houses stood but only for their houses. "93 villages will be completely relocated while another 107 will be partially affected. If this is happening to a few people, think about the calamity to befall on remaining thousands," he said.
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