While the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) is claiming that the project-affected persons (PAPs) of the Middle Vaitarana dam project have been properly rehabilitated, locals have complained tha
While the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) is claiming that the project-affected persons (PAPs) of the Middle Vaitarana dam project have been properly rehabilitated, locals have complained that several of their key demands, including provision of water, have not been met.
The locals rued that though there was a dam in their backyard, they were still deprived of drinking water. The Middle Vaitarana dam has come up at Kochale village in Mokhada taluka in the newly-created Palghar district. The village comes under Karegaon grampanchayat, which consists of three villages — Karegaon, Kaduchi Wadi and Kochale —and a hamlet Bhasmewadi. About 800 below-poverty-line families live in these villages. The Middle Vaitarana dam was completed in 2014 and the BMC has claimed it has successfully carried out the rehabilitation of PAPs by offering compensation, alternate accommodation and employment.
However, the locals contested these claims, alleging that the civic body has turned a deaf ear to some of their demands.
During the naming ceremony of Middle Vaitarana dam, the PAPs met chief minister Devendra Fadnavis and presented him their list of demands.
Amruta Kadu from Kochale said, “We have a big dam in our village, but we don’t get drinking water. The BMC should adopt these villages and start a water supply scheme.”
The CM assured that he would look into the demands.
