For the 11th day in a row, farmers in Khandwa, Madhya Pradesh stood in water up to their waists, in a protest against delays in compensation.
The agitation dates back to 2007 when the state government acquired land belonging to these farmers for the Omkareshwar dam on the Narmada river.
When the farmers went to court asking for alternate pockets of land instead of money as compensation, the Supreme Court issued an order in their favour. The state government then agreed to provide 5 acres of land to each farmer who returned half the amount of money paid to them.
Farmers who did receive land said they could not eke out a living because the land was infertile.
Doctors have raised concerns over the possibility of skin disease proliferating among the protestors. According to a Hindustan Times report the Chief Medical and Health Officer of Khandwa, RC Panika, said that the health department has put all community health centres in the area on high alert. The report quoted him as saying that the serious skin diseases which the protestors are reported to be suffering from can only be treated at Khandwa district hospital.
Meanwhile, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has written a letter to his Madhya Pradesh counterpart Shivraj Singh Chouhan requesting him to look into the demands of the agitators.
Agitation over the rehabilitation of people affected by Omkareshwar dam is going on in Narmada Valley. I have been associated with this agitation since a long time. You, I and your government, court and agitators wish that the affected people should properly be rehabilitated. If they are shifted before rehabilitation, it will amount to injustice to them.
- Kejriwal to Chouhan in a letter.
(With PTI inputs)
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