Pain saga continues at New Harsud

SHREE MAHESHWAR HYDEL POWER CORPORATION LIMITED
801, 8th Floor, Ansal Bhavan, 16 Kasturba Gandhi Marg, New Delhi – 110001
Tel.: 011-23730297, 23730298 Fax. : 011-23736185


Pain saga continues at New Harsud

A decade and half is over but the flashes of helplessly watching their homes submerge in
Narmada are still as fresh in the eyes of Harsud residents as if it happened yesterday. For them,
the time has stood still since the ill fated moment when these villagers living in the vicinity of
Narmada River’s Indira Sagar Hydel Project were forcefully shifted to the newly constructed
houses at New Harsud. Although devoid of modern facilities, the mud houses had been their
habitat for generations.

Lured to shifting into better Pukka Houses, these unfortunate migrants were forced into a new
Pukka house colony with practically all facilities either missing or grossly miss spelt. Even today,
these shifted villagers are in no good state of affairs. The earlier provided minimum facilities too
have deteriorated with passage of time and ignorance of government agencies to restore and
retain facilities developed for these unfortunate poor.

However, not so surprisingly, the ultimate beneficiary of this transition from old to new Harsud
has been the middlemen and government officers. As customary they have managed to spin
some fortune for themselves out of this while poor have turned poorer.

Today, taking note of past inhuman experiences of callous attitude of government agencies
during rehabilitation of Harsud villagers, the Maheshwar Hydro Electric Project authorities (a
PPP project promoted and driven by the MW Corp Group) have thoughtfully chosen a well
planned and developed rehabilitation site. The district administration, state administration and
the Project authorities have actively involved the affected villagers in the entire process of site
development.

Rehabilitation of displaced villagers is being done stage wise in this 400 MW Maheshwar Hydel
Project. Single villages are being shifted and residents of other villages are witness to the
process. As many villagers have already built huge Pukka houses and leading a life of dignity.
Much larger than their two room huts back in the village, now most of the family members have
separate rooms to live in the same house. They have toilets for natural calls rather then the old
practice of going outside in farmlands.

Ram Singh Kewat of Lepa who shifted to his newly constructed house, owns a five room house
today. His married son has a separate bedroom, he and his wife resides in the master bedroom
while another unmarried son also has a separate room. Now they have privacy of married life.
The entire family assembles in a common room and takes meals together where meal is cooked
in a separate clean kitchen, is almost the life they dreamt for ages.

Nannu also shifted to the colony recently. He is proud to have the Pakka house with a legal
electricity connection, water at his door step and clean constructed streets for morning walks.
Life suddenly has turned so comfortable, he says. Recalling old days, he says women of the
family faced much problems during monsoons when there was marsh all over and they had to
go long distances in dark for toilet. It was not safe due to poisonous snakes and insects and also
faced many other social problems. Today, they live with respect.

Many other villagers including Lepa, Pitabali, Bahegaon, Jalud, Telyaon, also live happily.
Earlier, we could not believe what officers said, but today we are happy we shifted.