Bhopal: The Madhya Pradesh Police on Wednesday released 221 people, who were demanding land as compensation and reduction of height of Indira Sagar deam on Narmada River, on a personal surety of Rs 5000. 241 protestors were arrested by the Harda district police on Wednesday morning.
Earlier, police cracked down on over 100 protesters on 'Jal Satyagraha', pulling them out of water after they refused to call off their agitation.
Narmada Bachao Andolan leader Chittarupa Palit and over 100 protesters were arrested for violating prohibitory orders and other charges.
The protesters pressed their demands including land as compensation and reduction of height of the Indira Sagar dam in Khardana village in the district from 262 metres to 260.
The District Collector of Khardana, where prohibitory orders were also imposed, and senior officials urged the protesters in neck-deep water to give up their agitation, but when they refused to budge, police pulled them out.
But barely a couple of hours after their eviction, about 50 persons from villages near Khardana defied the prohibitory orders and resumed their agitation, entering the Narmada river demanding immediate resolution of their demands.
Madhya Pradesh Congress president Kantilal Bhuria and Leader of Opposition in state Assembly, Ajay Singh were also present at the protest site.
Lashing out at the police action, Congress accused the BJP government in the state of trying to crush the agitation instead of acceding to their genuine demands.
Bhuria told reporters that the BJP government cannot be allowed to deal with the protest in such a fashion.
The issue would be raised during the gherao of Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan's residence on September 20 and the Congress would also bring up the matter to the notice of the higher-ups in Delhi, Bhuria said, who also spent some time in water along with the protesters.
This came two days after a similar protest was called off in Khandwa district of Madhya Pradesh following an assurance from the state government that the affected villagers would be given land as compensation and the height of Omkareshwar Dam would be reduced.
Both the Omkareshwar and the Indira Sagar dams are built across the Narmada river and are part of the Indira Sagar Project.
The Narmada Bachao Andolan spearheaded the water protests to demand proper rehabilitation for land that the villagers have lost and a reduction in the dam's water level.
However, the protesters at Khardana have stuck to their demands and said they would continue with their agitation.
Some protesters whose health condition worsened after standing in neck-deep water for long hours, were taken to hospital.
Meanwhile, state Home Minister Uma Shankar Gupta said that the administration was forced to take the step as it was concerned about the health of the 'satyagrahis'.
The minister alleged that the Congress had misled the farmers and the administration and the government "cannot remain a silent spectator" to the issue.
On September 10, the state government had agreed to give land for land to the displaced villagers in Khandwa and reduce the dam height to 189 metres, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan had said.
Both were key demands of protesters, who were standing in neck-deep water since August 25 to agitate for proper rehabilitation and compensation.
(With additional inputs from PTI)
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