Villagers clash with police at Jharkhand dam over land dispute, threaten mass 'jal samadhi'

Giridih (Jharkhand), Sep 8 (IANS) Tension prevailed at Khandoli Dam in Jharkhand’s Giridih district on Monday after hundreds of villagers, protesting against alleged illegal land acquisition, attempted to undertake 'Jal Samadhi' (drown themselves) in the dam.

The move led to a clash with police and officials deployed at the site.

The protest was organised under the banner of the Jharkhand Loktantrik Krantikari Morcha (JLKM) as part of the ongoing Khandoli Bachao Abhiyan.

Villagers claim that their ancestral and raiyat land is being forcibly included in the dam area under the guise of fresh demarcation.

Police personnel rushed to the spot and pulled out several villagers who were wading into the water. The dramatic protest created high tension in the area, forcing the administration to step up security around the dam.

According to the villagers, the Damodar Valley Corporation (DVC) acquired the land way back in 1992 for the construction of the dam, but proper demarcation was never carried out. They now allege that during the current demarcation drive, their farmland and homesteads have been wrongly marked as dam land.

“The administration is not showing any documents. Our land is being taken illegally, without compensation or rehabilitation,” a protestor said.

Earlier, the agitators had submitted a memorandum to the zonal officer and district administration listing eight demands of fresh demarcation of the dam land, return of raiyat land wrongly included in the dam area, compensation for affected families, and rehabilitation of the displaced.

However, they allege that no meaningful action has been taken so far.

JLKM leaders have now issued a stern warning -- if their demands are not met within 15 days, a larger mass Jal Samadhi Andolan will be carried out at the dam.

The district administration has increased the deployment of forces around Khandoli Dam to prevent further escalation.

--IANS

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