Tensions reached a boiling point on Thursday as hundreds of project-affected persons (PAP) of the Morbe Dam forcibly entered and ransacked the project office. The PAPs, who have been advocating for rehabilitation, fair compensation, and employment for over three decades, threatened to disrupt the water supply to Navi Mumbai and even resort to suicide if their demands are not addressed.
Morbe Dam, located approximately 34 kilometres from Navi Mumbai, was constructed by Maharashtra Jeevan Pradhikaran in the 1990s and later acquired by the Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC) in 2009. It serves as the primary water source for Navi Mumbai. On June 27, residents from eight villages and seven hamlets, whose lands were appropriated for the dam project, initiated an indefinite relay hunger strike near the tehsil office. The Morbe Dam PAP Action Committee, which spearheads the protest, stated that 3,322 acres of land were acquired from the PAPs between 1988 and 1990. “We were assured compensation of ₹65,000 per acre but received only ₹14,000 per acre. The payment for non-cultivable land was a mere ₹80 per acre. The farmers and tribals have been deceived,” said a senior member of the PAP Action Committee.
The PAPs are demanding rehabilitation under the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013. Their demands include fair compensation, employment for the youth, and the acquisition of the remaining land in the affected villages and hamlets, along with the return of 22.5% of the developed land to them. “We have been raising these demands for over 33 years, but officials remain indifferent,” stated an official from the committee. Another senior member mentioned that even after starting the hunger strike on June 27 and threatening to halt the dam’s water supply, there was no response from the authorities. “This is why hundreds of PAPs marched to the dam today to demand justice,” he explained. Around a thousand PAPs, including women, gathered near the dam on Thursday morning. They dismantled police barricades, broke open the gate, and vandalised the office, destroying furniture and reportedly engaging in stone-pelting. The protestors then moved towards the flap gate area, demanding the cessation of water supply to Navi Mumbai. The police presence managed to bring the situation under control.
The conflict highlights the long-standing grievances of the Morbe Dam PAPs, who have been seeking justice for over three decades. The government and relevant authorities must address these issues promptly to prevent further escalation and ensure fair treatment for the displaced residents. This protest underscores the urgent need for a resolution to the longstanding issues surrounding the Morbe Dam project. The authorities must act decisively to address the PAPs’ grievances and ensure equitable rehabilitation and compensation.
