Intervene to Protect Illegal Displacement due to Lower Suktel Dam in Odisha

January 22, 2014

Action Alert                            Action Alert                  Action Alert
New Delhi, 21st January, 2013
Dear Friends,
On 20th January, 2013, Lower Suktel Dam project work has started again with heavy deployment of Police in the Area. They had detained more than 250 villagers protesting the project, later on released them. Lower Suktel is a major irrigation scheme on a tributary of Mahanadi in Bolangir district of Odisha. The Environment Clearance to the project was given by the Ministry of Environment and Forest in 1998. The dam site is located around 20 kms. from the Bolangir town which will submerge more than 30 villages.
Lower Suktel Budi Anchal Sangram Parishad has been fighting against the dam construction since its beginning. In 1997, public hearing for the project happened, when 29 out of 30 people opposed the project. In 2001, the government tried to lay down the foundation stone which could not happen due to strong opposition of the local people. The project was opposed many times in many forums, but in 2012 some MLAs sat on a demonstration in Orissa Assembly Complex to start construction. Despite the strong opposition to the project, construction started in April, 2013 with Police brutality and in that course more than 100 people were arrested, which has raised question about the project across the country. In that confrontation film makers and journalists were also attacked by the police. Eventually the construction was stopped.
But now again 3-4 days back administration has started it, destructing their agricultural land with standing crop and Mango trees and that too in a village where some people have not given their land for the project. Collector had ordered for investigation and to compensate the loss to those who have not given land. But the construction is still on without any grievance redressal.
We demand:
  1. The construction should be immediately stopped, since it violates the existing norms and procedures and is completely illegal.
  2. Due compensation should be given for the loss of crop and other properties due to forceful construction.
  3. The government should appoint a committee to look into the matter and the project as a whole.
Please write to the following urgently :
Sl. No.
Whom
Email
Phone / Fax no.
1
The Chief Minister
0674-2531100,2531500
Fax No. 0674-2390562
2
Principal Secretary, Water Resource Department
0674-2536764 /
2392630 /
3
Regional Office, Ministry of Environment and Forests
Off. No. 0674: 2301213
2302432
Fax No. 0674: 2302432
4
District Collector, Bolangir
06652- 232223
Fax No. 233082
In Solidarity,
National Alliance of People’s Movements
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National Alliance of People’s Movements
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