Guest post by MOHAMMED OMAIS SHAYAN 

As the Nation is welcoming its 29^th state, Telangana is upbeat with hope of starting a new chapter of progress. Amongst the jubilations in Telangana, voices of people affected by the Polavaram dam are being lost. “Dam’ned”, a film by Saraswati Kavula is an attempt to air the unheard voices. It’s a must watch for all concerned as the movie touches the links of people, land, livelihood and development. The film aims to bring ground realities through interviewing the people of the affected region, technical and environmental experts. Before getting into content of the film, a very brief introduction of the project.

Polavaram project is going to be the largest dam in terms of number of people being displaced. The dam will be constructed at Polavaram village in West Godavari district of Andhra Pradesh. The dam aims to irrigate 2910 km² of area in Andhra Pradesh [1]. It will also provide drinking water to Vishakapatnam City and many villages besides water for industries in Vizag. The project aims to transfer 80 TMC water from Godavari to Krishna basin. The dam will submerge 300 villages of Andhra Pradesh, Chattisgarh and Orissa. This submergence area will cover 3,500 acres of biodiversity rich forest and also partially submerge the Papikundulum wildlife sanctuary [2]. The people living in these areas are predominantly ‘adivasis’ belonging to Koya and Konda Reddy tribes.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7myuXBpdzGg

The 71 minute film in four parts raises several important questions regarding project’s plan, Government’s attitude, economic and moral viability of such big projects. Here are listed few of such questions:

Do we have well laid rules and regulations for such major projects?

1. No public hearings were done as mandated for gram sabha approval. EIA (Environmental Impact Assessment) were not made available in local languages.
2. As a result there is complete ignorance among the population of affected areas regarding the dam construction and its affects. Many have no clue of impending displacement, there compensations and rehabilitation.
3. Government’s construction of roads and buildings in the submergence area, spending tax payers money, is only adding to the confusion that project may not be implemented. The same government denies “Indiramma houses” and bank loans to the villagers in submergence area.

Is rehabilitation possible at all?

1. History of Government’s handling of even smaller projects (in the vicinity of submergence area) is very shoddy that doesn’t inspire any confidence amongst the population.
2. At places where rehabilitation homes are given, but source of income and work that were promised are absent. This has triggered large scale migration either back to their submerging villages or metros in search of work.
3. Many of the lands allotted are either unfit for farming or are disputed lands. Possession of allotted land is hindered by opposition from the present local tiller of the land. The already displaced people are also being chased away from their fellow farmers.

When money substitutes land, what does it do?

1. Money creates havoc in the families of small farmers where brothers fight over share of distribution.
2. Many illiterate farmers spend money in lavishes, distribute it among the family without bothering about investing for future, only to realize that they are left with nothing that could feed them.
3. Those farmers, who have invested, fell prey to poachers from the insurance agencies that lured the ignorant poor with their dubious schemes and lofty promises.
4. Not all the money reaches to the intended beneficiary, lawyers and officials ask for “commissions”. The villagers frightened that they may not get anything often compromise and pay such commissions.

All in the name of farmers – really?

1. Main canal alone doesn’t irrigate. It needs whole infrastructure of branch canals, distributaries, minors, sub-minors and then field canals. No such plans are in place today. It is feared Polavaram could go the same way as Sardar Sarovar dam.
2. Desperate farmers who try to take water from the main canals that pass near their fields face immediate arrest. The question then comes for whom is this water being diverted then?
3. Canals without enough bridges, divides the land and people on the opposite banks. This increases the travelling distance for laborers to their agricultural fields causing great inconvenience.
4. Acquisition of farm lands for construction of canals was done under emergency clause in section 17, Land Acquisition Act that allows Government to do land acquisition in case of emergency. What emergency when the permission for the project has not yet been obtained?

What this film primarily achieves is that it brings out those all-important voices of affected population that are absent from the discourse regarding the dam. The film does well in accommodating voices of farmers from submergence area and also the command areas. Such endeavors are very crucial for democratic, informed debate on the issues of vitality to the country. After all, democracy means listening to everyone.

References:

1. http://www.nih.ernet.in/rbis/india_information/GODAVARI_projects.htm
2. http://www.downtoearth.org.in/content/polavaram-ordinance-protests-adivasis-intensify