Maharashtra tops list for people displaced by dam projects: Government

NEW DELHI: Maharashtra tops the list for the number of people displaced by dam projects in the country with over 7 lakh people thus affected in the state, the government told Parliament.

In his reply to a question in Lok Sabha, Minister of State for Water Resources Sanwar Lal Jat yesterday said that altogether 7,13,136 people have been displaced by a total of 100 dam projects in Maharashtra.

Undivided Andhra Pradesh accounts for 4,64,675 persons being displaced by dam projects and was closely followed by Karnataka with 4,10,104 such people.

The minister said that water resource projects are planned and implemented by the state governments, which formulate and implement project-wise rehabilitation and resettlement plans.

The Union government has come up with the National Rehabilitation and Resettlement Policy, 2007, and the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013, for smooth implementation of rehabilitation and resettlement action plans in respect of project-affected families, he added.

"However, compensation for project-affected people is decided by the project authorities as per the existing rehabilitation and resettlement policy of Centre/state, whichever is more beneficial," the minister added.