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25 Years on, Urmodi Dam Outsees in Maharashtra Continue Fight for Rehabilitation

Reported by

Prerna Chaurashe

Legal Review by

Edited by

Updated by

Published on

September 18, 2016

May 17, 2022

Edited on

September 18, 2016

State

Maharashtra

Sector

Infrastructure

People Affected by Conflict

16972

Households Affected by Conflict

Land Area Affected (in Hectares)

1528

ha

Starting Year

2015

Location of Conflict

Atit

Satara

Reason or Cause of Conflict

Irrigation Dam

Land Conflict Summary

The Maharashtra government had sanctioned the Urmodi Irrigation Dam near Parali village in Satara district. The decision was approved by state government in 1981. For the project, land measuring 1,528 hectares from 23 villages was estimated to be affected. In 1994, the capacity of the dam was increased and nine more villages were included in the affected zone, taking the total number of estimated affected people to 3,898 families. Over the years, the state government has ignored the rehabilitation of the displaced farmers from the 23 villages. A 2013 academic study by Sapkale and Suryavanshi on the displaced people found that athough 70 per cent of the affected households were rehabilitated, their other demands, such as agricultural facilities, were disregarded. Moreover, most of the rehabilitated farmers were given noncultivable and barren land as a replacement to their fertile land. In 2015, the plight of rehabilitation of the displaced families gained limelight when members of Parliament asked the minister of water resources about the assessment of families affected by various irrigation projects in India and the number of people who are yet to be rehabilitated. In response, the minister answered with a spreadsheet of people displaced. Maharashtra topped the list, with 7,13,136 displaced people. In an outrage over this data, the projectaffected people started a protest march in Sangli, Satara and Kolhapur districts in August 2015 and also sent a memorandum to Chief Minister Devendra Fadanvis. The protests were led by the Shramik Mukti Dal, an organisation fighting for the rights of displaced people. In 2016, the state government decided to reconstitute the Maharashtra State Rehabilitation Authority to address the rehabilitation of at least 30 lakh people displaced in the state. In a local report ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha election, it was reported that many people were rehabilitated in Man and Khatav tehsils, which is a famineaffected region. The villagers continue to demand fertile land.

Fact Sheet

Demand/Contention of the Affected Community

Demand for rehabilitation

Demand for promised land

Other Demand/Contention of the Affected Community

Region Classification

Rural

Type of Land

Private

Type of Common Land

What was the action taken by the police?

How many people did the police detain or arrest?

What is the current status of the detained/accused persons?

Did the person face any violence while in police custody?

Did the person face any violence while in police custody?

If any arrests took place, were the accused persons produced before a judge within 24 hours of the arrest?

If the accused was not produced before a magistrate within 24 hours, or not produced at all, what were the reasons?

Legislation under which the accused was charged

Was the accused person informed of their right to legal representation? Did the accused person have access to legal aid?

In cases where the accused person approached the court for bail, was bail granted?

Why was bail granted or rejected? If granted, what were the bail conditions and quantum of bail?

Were there any other notable irregularities that took place, or other significant details?

Details of sources (names of accused, names and numbers of any lawyers, names of any police officers contacted)

Status of Project

Original Project Deadline

Whether the Project has been Delayed

Significance of Land to Land Owners/Users

Whether the project was stalled due to land conflict

Source/Reference

Total investment involved (in Crores):

19

Type of investment:

Year of Estimation

Page Number In Investment Document:

Has the Conflict Ended?

When did it end?

Why did the conflict end?

Legal Data

Categories of Legislations Involved in the Conflict

Land Acquisition Laws, Other

Legislations/Policies Involved

Maharashtra Project Affected Persons Rehabilitation Act, 1986
Section 13 [The Collector shall give a public notice inviting objections in respect of lands sought to be acquired. Any person interested in the land may submit objections within 30 days of the notice]; Section 14 [Persons affected by irrigation projects may be entitled to rehabilitation in the benefited zone of the project]; Section 15 [The Collector shall prepare and publish from time to time the proposals for rehabilitation of the affected persons]; Section 26 [Every state government is entitled to make rules for carrying out the purposes of this Act]; Section 27 [This Act gives effect to the policy of the state securing the execution of the rehabilitation of project affected persons]
Land Acquisition Act, 1894
Section 4 [Whenever it appears that the government likely requires land in a locality for a public purpose, it shall publish a notification to that effect]; Section 6 [When a particular land is required for a public purpose, a declaration shall be made to that effect, under the signature of the appropriate authority]
Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013
Section 21(1) [The Collector shall publish a public notice stating that the government intends to take possession of the land]; Section 21(2) [The public notice shall contain the particulars of the land, and every person interested in the land shall appear before the Collector within a period of 30 days to state the nature of their interest in the land]; Section 24 [Where an award for land acquisition has been made under the Land Acquisition Act, 1894, five years prior to the commencement of this Act, but physical possession has not been taken or compensation has not been paid, the proceedings shall be deemed to have lapsed]; Section 32 [The Collector shall ensure provision of all infrastructural and basic minimum amenities in the resettlement area]; Third Schedule [List of infrastructural amenities to be provided to the resettled population]; Section 38 [Infrastructural amenities in the Third Schedule to be provided within a period of 18 months from the date of award]
  1. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

  2. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

  3. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

  4. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

  5. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

  6. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

  7. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

Whether claims/objections were made as per procedure in the relevant statute

What was the claim(s)/objection(s) raised by the community?

What was the Decision of the Concerned Government Department?

Legal Processes and Loopholes Enabling the Conflict:

Non-rehabilitation of displaced people

Legal Status:

In Court

Status of Case In Court

Disposed

Whether any adjudicatory body was approached

Name of the adjudicatory body

Name(s) of the Court(s)

High Court of Bombay

Case Number

Civil WP No. 2145/1998; WP No. 5162/2014

Main Reasoning/Decision of court

Major Human Rights Violations Related to the Conflict:

No items found.

Whether criminal law was used against protestors:

Reported Details of the Violation:

Date of Violation

Location of Violation

Additional Information

Nature of Protest

Campaigns (grassroots organisations/press releases/media)

Complaints/petitions/letters/memorandums to officials

Protests/marches

Government Departments Involved in the Conflict:

Satara district administration, Maharashtra Krishna Valley Development Corporation

PSUs Involved in the Conflict:

Did LCW Approach Government Authorities for Comments?

Name, Designation and Comment of the Government Authorities Approached

Corporate Parties Involved in the Conflict:

Did LCW Approach Corporate Parties for Comments?

Communities/Local Organisations in the Conflict:

Shramik Mukti Dal

Information on the use of criminal law

What was the action taken by the police?

How many people did the police detain or arrest?

What is the current status of the detained/accused persons?

Did the person face any violence while in police custody?

If any arrests took place, were the accused persons produced before a judge within 24 hours of the arrest?

If the accused was not produced before a magistrate within 24 hours, or not produced at all, what were the reasons?

Legislation under which the accused was charged

Was the accused person informed of their right to legal representation? Did the accused person have access to legal aid?

In cases where the accused person approached the court for bail, was bail granted?

Why was bail granted or rejected? If granted, what were the bail conditions and quantum of bail?

Were there any other notable irregularities that took place, or other significant details?

Resources

Resources Related to Conflict

  • News Articles Related to the Conflict:
  • Documents Related to the Conflict:
  • Links Related to the Conflict:

Images

Image Credit:  

Image Credit:  

Video

The Maharashtra government had sanctioned the Urmodi Irrigation Dam near Parali village in Satara district. The decision was approved by state government in 1981. For the project, land measuring 1,528 hectares from 23 villages was estimated to be affected. In 1994, the capacity of the dam was increased and nine more villages were included in the affected zone, taking the total number of estimated affected people to 3,898 families. Over the years, the state government has ignored the rehabilitation of the displaced farmers from the 23 villages. A 2013 academic study by Sapkale and Suryavanshi on the displaced people found that athough 70 per cent of the affected households were rehabilitated, their other demands, such as agricultural facilities, were disregarded. Moreover, most of the rehabilitated farmers were given noncultivable and barren land as a replacement to their fertile land. In 2015, the plight of rehabilitation of the displaced families gained limelight when members of Parliament asked the minister of water resources about the assessment of families affected by various irrigation projects in India and the number of people who are yet to be rehabilitated. In response, the minister answered with a spreadsheet of people displaced. Maharashtra topped the list, with 7,13,136 displaced people. In an outrage over this data, the projectaffected people started a protest march in Sangli, Satara and Kolhapur districts in August 2015 and also sent a memorandum to Chief Minister Devendra Fadanvis. The protests were led by the Shramik Mukti Dal, an organisation fighting for the rights of displaced people. In 2016, the state government decided to reconstitute the Maharashtra State Rehabilitation Authority to address the rehabilitation of at least 30 lakh people displaced in the state. In a local report ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha election, it was reported that many people were rehabilitated in Man and Khatav tehsils, which is a famineaffected region. The villagers continue to demand fertile land.

Demand/Contention of the Affected Community

Demand for rehabilitation

Demand for promised land

Other Demand/Contention of the Affected Community

Region Classification

Rural

Type of Land

Private

Type of Common Land

Total investment involved (in Crores):

19

Type of investment:

Year of Estimation

Page Number In Investment Document:

Has the Conflict Ended?

When did it end?

Why did the conflict end?

Categories of Legislations Involved in the Conflict

Land Acquisition Laws, Other

Legislations/Policies Involved

Maharashtra Project Affected Persons Rehabilitation Act, 1986
Section 13 [The Collector shall give a public notice inviting objections in respect of lands sought to be acquired. Any person interested in the land may submit objections within 30 days of the notice]; Section 14 [Persons affected by irrigation projects may be entitled to rehabilitation in the benefited zone of the project]; Section 15 [The Collector shall prepare and publish from time to time the proposals for rehabilitation of the affected persons]; Section 26 [Every state government is entitled to make rules for carrying out the purposes of this Act]; Section 27 [This Act gives effect to the policy of the state securing the execution of the rehabilitation of project affected persons]
Land Acquisition Act, 1894
Section 4 [Whenever it appears that the government likely requires land in a locality for a public purpose, it shall publish a notification to that effect]; Section 6 [When a particular land is required for a public purpose, a declaration shall be made to that effect, under the signature of the appropriate authority]
Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013
Section 21(1) [The Collector shall publish a public notice stating that the government intends to take possession of the land]; Section 21(2) [The public notice shall contain the particulars of the land, and every person interested in the land shall appear before the Collector within a period of 30 days to state the nature of their interest in the land]; Section 24 [Where an award for land acquisition has been made under the Land Acquisition Act, 1894, five years prior to the commencement of this Act, but physical possession has not been taken or compensation has not been paid, the proceedings shall be deemed to have lapsed]; Section 32 [The Collector shall ensure provision of all infrastructural and basic minimum amenities in the resettlement area]; Third Schedule [List of infrastructural amenities to be provided to the resettled population]; Section 38 [Infrastructural amenities in the Third Schedule to be provided within a period of 18 months from the date of award]
  1. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

  2. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

  3. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

  4. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

  5. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

  6. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

  7. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

Whether claims/objections were made as per procedure in the relevant statute

What was the claim(s)/objection(s) raised by the community?

What was the Decision of the Concerned Government Department?

Legal Processes and Loopholes Enabling the Conflict:

Non-rehabilitation of displaced people

Legal Status:

In Court

Status of Case In Court

Disposed

Whether any adjudicatory body was approached

Name of the adjudicatory body

Name(s) of the Court(s)

High Court of Bombay

Case Number

Civil WP No. 2145/1998; WP No. 5162/2014

Main Reasoning/Decision of court

Major Human Rights Violations Related to the Conflict:

No items found.

Whether criminal law was used against protestors:

Reported Details of the Violation:

Date of Violation

Location of Violation

Nature of Protest

Campaigns (grassroots organisations/press releases/media)

Complaints/petitions/letters/memorandums to officials

Protests/marches

Government Departments Involved in the Conflict:

Satara district administration, Maharashtra Krishna Valley Development Corporation

PSUs Involved in the Conflict:

Did LCW Approach Government Authorities for Comments?

Name, Designation and Comment of the Government Authorities Approached

Corporate Parties Involved in the Conflict:

Did LCW Approach Corporate Parties for Comments?

Communities/Local Organisations in the Conflict:

Shramik Mukti Dal

Resources Related to Conflict

  • News Articles Related to the Conflict:
  • Documents Related to the Conflict:
  • Links Related to the Conflict:

Image Credit:  

Image Credit:  

Documented By

Text Link

Reviewed By

Text Link

Updated By

Text Link

Edited By

Text LinkLand Conflict Watch

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