Bhopal, Aug 27 (IANS) With continuing rain in Madhya Pradesh and increasing water levels in the Sardar Sarovar Dam having affected thousands of villages along the Narmada river on the Gujarat-Madhya Pradesh border, the Narmada Bachao Andolan has started the Narmada Chunauti Satyagrah.
Activist Medha Patkar and five others on Sunday started an indefinite hunger strike in Chhota Barda in Madhya Pradesh demanding proper rehabilitation of the people in the flood-affected districts of Alirajpur, Dhar and Barwani in the state and opening of the gates of the Sardar Sarovar Dam in neighbouring Gujarat. Six others are sitting with them on a chain hunger strike.
Farmland, houses and shops in at least 80 villages across the three districts have been submerged with the water in the dam crossing 133.5 meters due to non-drainage of water by Gujarat.
"At last 192 villages as well as Dharampuri town in these districts may go under if the water in the dam breaches the 138 meter mark. The Gujarat government has made an announcement in this regard. The government has not even completed the process of rehabilitation of the inhabitants in these areas," Rahu Yadav of Narmada Bachao Andolan told IANS.
The National Alliance of People's Movements has also written a letter to Chief Minister Kamal Nath expressing concern over the condition of the affected villagers and demanding drainage of water from the dam to reduce it to 122 metres.
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