NAGPUR, May 7: The much delayed construction of Wadgaon dam is expected to be completed before the onset of monsoon as the project-hit villagers have started shifting to alternative sites offered to them under the rehabilitation package.

A visit to the dam site, located about 45 km from here, off the national highway leading towards Hyderabad, showed that the construction work was going apace promising to complete the last phase of earthen embankment by the end of this month. In the last one month, construction has picked up as the Irrigation officials, it seemed, have resolved not to miss the deadline.

In sharp contrast is the situation at the rehabilitation site, Turakmari village, located on the other side of the national highway. The resettlement work is going on at snail's pace, although monsoon is just a month away. The landscape remains as barren as it was at the beginning of the year, except for the fact that a few huts have come up on the sprawling 62 hectare land.

These huts indicate change in the attitude of the project-hit people. They had initially launched an agitation against rehabilitation, which threatened to delay the project. However, now they have started shifting.

Residents of two out of seven villages have already shifted, raising the hope that the remaining would soon join them. Villages to be shifted to Turakmari site are: Ridhora, Kinhalgaon, Masala, Dudhala, Borgaon, Jaipur and Kinhala.

With the construction of Wadgaon dam, the twin-dam Lower Wunna project would be completed to provide irrigation facilities to about 25,000 hectare land in Nagpur and Wardha districts. The Wadgaon dam would also meet the needs of industries at sprawling Butibori Industrial Estate being developed by the Maharashtra Industries Development Corporation (MIDC).

A total of 13.50 million cubic metres of water will be reserved for industrial use. Of the two dams, Nand was completed in the last decade while Wadgaon was affected first because of delayed environmental clearance, then due to the resource crunch and finally the controversy over rehabilitation of 1,500 affected families.

Incidentally, Lower Wunna is the first project to be completed by the recently floated Vidarbha Irrigation Development Corporation (VIDC). It was handed over the VIDC as per the state government's announcement to transfer ten major on-going projects in Vidarbha region to the corporation, set up basically to raise funds for early completion of the much needed projects.

VIDC Chief Enginer Bhingare visited the dam site and inspected the rehabilitation work.

Talking to a team of visiting journalists, he was confident of completing the construction work by May 31. About rehabilitation, he informed that compensation was paid to the displaced persons from five villages and the remaining proposals are being expedited. The Irrigation authorities have provided a fleet of vehicles, including 23 trucks to help the villagers to shift their belongings to the alternate sites, where basic infrastructural facilities like road, electricity supply lines and drinking water are being provided.

The VIDC Chief Engineer and irrigation officials, including Executive Engineer Mate, admitted that the controversy over rehabilitation of the affected villagers delayed the project by over two years. But they refuted the allegations that compensation was inadequate and the rehabilitation work was neglected.

According to them, compensation to the tune of Rs 7.50 crore was paid in Ridhora village alone, with some families getting big amounts ranging between Rs 20 lakhs and 90 lakhs.

Copyright © 1997 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.