RANCHI: THE decks have been cleared for the relocation of seven villages lying in the submergence area of Mandal dam in Palamu Tiger Reserve (PTR) as the Jharkhand government has agreed to provide one acre land besides compensation of Rs 15 lakh to each household.
Despite getting the forest and wildlife clearance in 2018, Mandal dam awaits relocation of 7 villages. Spread over Garhwa, Latehar and Palamu districts, the dam is yet to become functional due to lack of consensus between the government and the villagers living in its submergence area. A total of 780 households residing in Kutku, Bhajna, Khura, Khaira, Saneya, Chemo and Meral villages are to be relocated.
PTR deputy director Prajesh Kant Jena said that it’s a win-win situation for the government, tiger reserve and villagers. “When the villages get relocated, the vacated land will create a huge water body which will reduce the problem of human-animal conflict in Garhwa, Latehar and Palamu districts. While the rest of area will create a huge patch of grassland for tigers and elephants,” Jena said.
The government, according to the Deputy Director, has taken a humane approach while deciding the rehabilitation package. “The relocated place will be developed into a model development cluster so that the rehabilitated people could be duly taken care of,” the deputy director said.
Mandal dam in PTR has been lying defunct since the 1990s when work on the project was stopped after local protests. In 2015, the then minister for environment, forest and climate change, Prakash Jawdekar, announced the creation of a task force to expedite the forest, environment and wildlife clearances for the project.
Later, on January 5, 2019, PM Narendra Modi laid foundation stone for the project.