The yatra set off on April 1 from Badwani, Madhya Pradesh, and wound its way into Mumbai through Gujarat and Maharashtra. Organisations which are part of the yatra claimed that the government's misleading claims regarding displacement and resettlement have faciliatated the intertim order of the Supreme Court on February 18, permitting work on the dam to restart.

The court has also allowed raising the dam height from 80.3 meters to 85 meters. Members of the Narmada Bachao Andolan later met Minister for Rehabilitation Jayprakash Mundada and presented him with their demands.

The displaced tribals, who staged demonstrations in various parts of the city today, including Azad Maidan and Parel, alleged that the interim order willfurther innundate 33 tribal villages in Maharashtra and at least 25 villages in Madhya Pradesh, displacing 1,500-2,000 families. Several villagers, especially those who were residents of villages on the periphery of the dam, lambasted the Gujarat government for the manner in which it has rehabiliated the displaced villagers.

Bechaan Bhai, a resident of Mohkdi, one of the 19 villages on the periphery of the dam, was `rehabilitated' 18 years ago to Kukkad. ``We were resettled along with 18 families. Our entire village, even families, was divided and scattered all over. And there was nothing on the land we moved to, no water, not even tents. It was and is almost impossible to cultivate,'' he said.

Families which earned their living from forest produce, agriculture and livestock lost all of that when they were made to move to the resettlement sites, said Bhai, who owned 25 acres of land in his original vilage.

Added Kom Singh Bhonabha, who was rehabilitated from Panchmoli to Shera, ``We have to walk akilometre every day for water. And the land is so bad not even five cattle heads canot be grazed properly there!''

Inglabhai Tinisia, from Hapeshwar who was resettled to Kukkad, said, ``The government told us that transporting roofs of our houses would be too expensive. So, we've hung our old clothes to cover our heads.''

``The Gujarat government hasn't been able to resettle those villages located within 80 metres of the dam properly. How does it propose to resettle the rest?'' questioned Nandini Oza, NBA activist. Added NBA spokesperson Sanjay Sangvai, with the raising of the dam height, more land will be required for rehabilitation. And with the monsoon approaching more land will submerge.

The yatra now proceeds to Delhi, where the tribals will stage a demonstration on April seven before the Ministry of Social Justice and empowerment.