The Maheshwar Dam project was proposed in 1978 as part of the Narmada Valley Development project. The Madhya Pradesh State Electricity Board was assigned the responsibility of building the dam in 1989. In 1993, the project was awarded to S. Kumars making it the first such privately financed project.
The project was estimated to affect over 60,000 people belonging to 61 villages, out of which 21 villages would be completely submerged and another 40 villages would witness the submergence of agricultural land.
The people affected by the project were eligible for the Resettlement and Rehabilitation (R&R) measures by S. Kumars, entrusted to the MP State Electricity Board. The original schedule to settle the R&R of the first village to be submerged - Jalud - was by 1997-98. The R&R was to be awarded according to the 1985 resettlement policy of Madhya Pradesh for Narmada projects. One of the major provisions of the policy was that every land-owning family that would lose more than 25 per cent of its land would be entitled to land-to-land compensation, with a minimum of five acres and maximum of 20 acres to be provided, and the villages would be resettled as communities. The project was initially stuck due to protests against the impact of the project.
In 2010, the construction of the dam was 80 per cent complete, but the rehabilitation was still stuck at 3-5 per cent, according to the then Union Minister of Environment and Forests, Jairam Ramesh. By 2015, only 20 per cent of the displaced population was compensated.
In 2016, the government ordered an enquiry into the operations and mismanagement of the firm that delayed and derailed the project and lead to cost overruns. In 2019, the project was abandoned due to a financial crunch that impacted the R&R work.
In April 2020, the state government announced the scrapping of the Maheshwar Dam Project. A senior government official was quoted as saying in a news report, “The Power Purchase Agreement required the state government to pay project promoters huge amounts of public money every year for 35 years from the date of the commissioning of the project, whether or not the electricity was purchased by the government.”
As of March 2021, there was no clarity on the status of displaced people and whether land would be returned to them. However, in September 2022, the decision to scrap all contracts related to the project was finally approved by the State Chief Minister, following a cabinet meeting in Ujjain.
Demand/Contention of the Affected Community
Demand for rehabilitation
Demand for promised compensation
Demand to retain/protect access to common land/resources
Other Demand/Contention of the Affected Community
Region Classification
Rural
Type of Land
Common and Private
Non-Forest (Grazing Land)
What was the action taken by the police?
How many people did the police detain or arrest?
What is the current status of the detained/accused persons?
Did the person face any violence while in police custody?
If any arrests took place, were the accused persons produced before a judge within 24 hours of the arrest?
If the accused was not produced before a magistrate within 24 hours, or not produced at all, what were the reasons?
Legislation under which the accused was charged
Was the accused person informed of their right to legal representation? Did the accused person have access to legal aid?
In cases where the accused person approached the court for bail, was bail granted?
Why was bail granted or rejected? If granted, what were the bail conditions and quantum of bail?
Details of sources (names of accused, names and numbers of any lawyers, names of any police officers contacted)
Status of Project
Original Project Deadline
Whether the Project has been Delayed
Significance of Land to Land Owners/Users
Whether the project was stalled due to land conflict
Source/Reference
Total investment involved (in Crores):
₹
4400
Type of investment:
Revised Investment
Year of Estimation
1978
Has the Conflict Ended?
When did it end?
Why did the conflict end?
Categories of Legislations Involved in the Conflict
Land Acquisition Laws
Legislations/Policies Involved
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Whether claims/objections were made as per procedure in the relevant statute
What was the claim(s)/objection(s) raised by the community?
What was the Decision of the Concerned Government Department?
Legal Processes and Loopholes Enabling the Conflict:
Non-rehabilitation of displaced people
Non-payment of compensation/promised compensation
Violation of free prior informed consent
Controversial land acquisition by the government
Legal Status:
Out of Court
Status of Case In Court
Whether any adjudicatory body was approached
Name of the adjudicatory body
Name(s) of the Court(s)
Case Number
Main Reasoning/Decision of court
Major Human Rights Violations Related to the Conflict:
Whether criminal law was used against protestors:
Reported Details of the Violation:
Date of Violation
Location of Violation
Government Departments Involved in the Conflict:
Ministry of Environment and Forests, Government of India, Government of Madhya Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh Electricity Board , Madhya Pradesh State Industrial Development Corporation Limited (MPSIDC)
PSUs Involved in the Conflict:
Madhya Pradesh Electricity Board, Madhya Pradesh State Industrial Development Corporation Limited
Did LCW Approach Government Authorities for Comments?
Name, Designation and Comment of the Government Authorities Approached
Corporate Parties Involved in the Conflict:
Shree Maheshwar Hydro-Electric Power Corporation Limited, Bayernwerk from Germany, Siemens from Germany , PacGen Ogden Corporation from the US, Vereinigten Elektrizittswerke Westfalen AG (VEW) from Germany
Did LCW Approach Corporate Parties for Comments?
Communities/Local Organisations in the Conflict:
Kahar and Kevat communities
What was the action taken by the police?
How many people did the police detain or arrest?
What is the current status of the detained/accused persons?
Did the person face any violence while in police custody?
If any arrests took place, were the accused persons produced before a judge within 24 hours of the arrest?
If the accused was not produced before a magistrate within 24 hours, or not produced at all, what were the reasons?
Legislation under which the accused was charged
Was the accused person informed of their right to legal representation? Did the accused person have access to legal aid?
In cases where the accused person approached the court for bail, was bail granted?
Why was bail granted or rejected? If granted, what were the bail conditions and quantum of bail?
Were there any other notable irregularities that took place, or other significant details?
Farmers in Assam resist land acquisition for solar plant, beaten by police
Surat farmers claim fertile land re-included in Gujarat's development plan without consent
Villagers in Gadchiroli campaign to shut down Surjagarh iron ore mine
Encroachment, land dispute pose threat to newly designated Behali Wildlife Sanctuary in Assam
Residents in Krishnagiri protest against takeover of land by SIPCOT
Tension in Arunachal's Lower Siang over Likabali-Durpai road project amid boundary disputes
Tamil Nadu revives plan to construct Kanyakumari Port despite protests by fisherfolk
Bauxite mining at Mali Parbat in Koraput seeks to displace and disrupt local livelihoods