In 1978, the Gujarat government decided to construct a dam on the Machhan River in Nan Salai, and in 1982, close to 600 families were relocated two kilometers away. These families, mostly belonging to the Bhil tribe, opposed and resisted the project, but the government eventually succeeded in convincing them to move out. However, almost four decades later, many of these families are demanding land that was once promised to them. During the time of their relocation, the state government had promised these families some land in Kalitala, a forest area, but over the years, the forest department has refused to acknowledge their rights over the land. The small, earthen dam is built primarily for irrigation, and the water it relases reaches the homes of the people who were relocated near the dam, making the ground marshy. A local resident said, For at least three months of the year, we are surrounded by water from three fronts, which makes it impossible to grow any crop. Even if we plant some crop, the spillway from the dam ensures that the entire crop rots. Without their own land or the promised land, the farmers now struggle to cultivate crops around their new homes owing to a substantial increase in the submergence area. The primary purpose of the Machannala Dam has also n[ot been served](http://Although the Machannala Dam is categorised as an irrigation dam, the water for irrigation has also not reached the villages Sampoi, Raniar, Varod, Nan Salai, Chansar and Tandi, where the displaced people live.); the water for irrigation has, till date, not reached the villages Sampoi, Raniar, Varod, Nan Salai, Chansar and Tandi, where the displaced people live. This has left the displaced with neither land nor water. The residents claim that the flooding, instead, is causing severe infection among the children. Many of the displaced families have taken out multiple protest marches, but the government, which believes that the Bhils have been compensated adequately, has been unresponsive.