Bhopal, April 24 (IANS) With the agitation against raising Omkareshwar dam water level here in Madhya Pradesh continuing for the 14th day, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Friday said the protest is against development.
Speaking during a public meeting in Dabana village, Chouhan said the efforts against development will not be allowed to succeed and the water from Omkareshwar and Indira Sagar projects will be taken to every village and field of the Nimad region.
He also said if the farmers in Nimad get water for irrigation, they would not lag behind Punjab farmers.
Alok Agarwal, one of the protestors from the Narmada Bachao Andolan, termed the chief minister’s statement as against the farmers’ interest and vowed to continue the water protest till their demands were met.
Meanwhile, the condition of the protestors who have been standing, squatting in the river water for the past 14 days is deteriorating and the land of many farmers has come under the inundated area due to raising water level.