Is the new international airport in Navi Mumbai going to become another case of unplanned development? Residents from three villages located 100 metres from the airport have been underwater for the last three days, and up in arms against the City and Industrial Development Corporation (CIDCO) for its poor planning — ground-levelling work being done by the agency at the airport site has allegedly blocked the drainage and slowed the pace of flowing water, completely inundating Dungi, Rudranagar and Pargaon villages.

Residents of Dungi, Rudranagar and Pargaon villages have been underwater for the last three days

Despite crying hoarse about their plight, CIDCO allegedly didn't send anyone to help the families, or even come up with an alternative for them. Ultimately, residents blocked the main road in protest to get authorities' attention.

Residents said water has gone inside houses of more than 100 people, with none of them being able to stay inside. Shital Patil, a resident, said, "We have not been able to cook for the last two days, or for that matter, even sleep. To make matters worse, my children have caught a cold. What we should do? Is it our problem that rich people want an airport here? It's become a life-and-death situation. If anything happens to my children, CIDCO is responsible."

Another villager, Mahendra Patil, said, "We have been complaining to the authorities about waterlogging since 2013, but they haven't paid attention. This June, I wrote to the tehsildar's office and CIDCO to give shelter to us, but in vain. "We never imagined that we would have to leave our homes and live with others like guests."

Officialspeak
A team has sent to the spot, said CIDCO PRO Mohan Ninave, adding, "We are finding out the reason behind the waterlogging."

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To aid the construction of the Navi Mumbai airport, the City and Industrial Development Corporation (CIDCO) had successfully shifted eight villages from the area that will be affected by the project, but forgot to make arrangements for the pets and animals in the village. The NGO, Hands That Heal, has now come forward to give shelter and food to these animals, who had been abandoned by the authorities. They are now relocating all the animals to their shelter in Panvel.

The villages that have been shifted include Chinchpada, Kolhi, Kopar, Ulwe, Varche Ulwe, Pargaon-Dungi, Targhar, Kombadbhuje and Waghivli Vada. From these areas, villagers are to be resettled in Wadghar, Wahal and Kunde Wahal areas. Aishwarya Chaudhary, founder of the NGO, said, "I didn't know about this situation but recently, I came across a post on Facebook mentioning the plight of the animals and birds in this area. My team of 12 has been working for the past four days. Many animals were found dehydrated, starving and homeless."

"We have collected 20 dogs, 13 cats, and three cows. As many trees have been cut down as well; birds have also been displaced. Our shelter is too small to house everyone, and I urge CIDCO and other NGOs to come forward to help this cause," added Chauhan. CIDCO PRO, Priya Ratambe said, "Our health department is finding a solution for the situation and will find an alternative soon."

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After months of stiff resistance to the high-speed train, villagers in Palghar finally took the bullet for their community. In return for their land, the bullet train authorities have not only promised the residents of 73 hamlets handsome compensation, but will also give them long-pending basic facilities, such as hospitals, schools and water supply.

This is the first time the authorities are using such a tactic to acquire land for government projects. Since June, the villagers have rebuffed all attempts to persuade them to get on board with the project, despite promises of hefty compensation. But when the authorities decided to ask individual land owners what they wanted, most of them demanded basic facilities that would benefit the entire community, which they had long been deprived of.

Authorities built a medical centre and school in pre-fabricated pods

Basic needs met
The locals' needs were simple enough - hospitals, schools, water - and easy to address. The National High Speed Railway Corporation Limited (NHSRCL) used shipping containers and train coaches set up the first two requirements at a cost of just R5 lakh per container, and around R4 lakh per year for salaries. The team is also looking at providing schools. The existing school at Dahanu is being upgraded, and the NHSRCL will ensure that it is staffed.

At Virathan Khurd, a medical facility was built in one of these pre-fabricated pods. At Silte village, the dilapidated health centre is being upgraded and converted into a permanent hospital. Dahanu's civic body will supply doctors and nurses who will visit the villages twice a week.

"Another health centre will be set up in a container at Silte. We are also planning to deploy a mobile health unit once a week in every village with the help of the local  civic body," said Dhananjay Kumar, NHSRCL spokesperson.

On Saturday, Railway Board chairman Ashwani Lohani will visit the villages to inaugurate the facilities. As for the water supply, the authorities will explore the possibility of tapping groundwater. If it is not feasible, then alternative arrangements will be made, said sources.

Everyone wins
This novel approach to appeasing project-affected people (PAPs) was born out of equal parts necessity and empathy. The Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train project requires a total of 350 hectares of land in Maharashtra alone, and the lion's share of this land is in Palghar (221 ha). Of the 104 affected villages in the state, 73 are in Palghar tehsil. The resistance from these villagers threatened to derail the project from its 2022 deadline.

"The village sarpanchs have now authorised only a select set of people whose land is actually affected, and only they and the representatives of the sarpanch's office can deal with the land issues. No outsiders are allowed to deal with the NHSRCL teams," said Kumar.

"During conversations with the villagers and the sarpanch, they showed us a new road and other developmental projects for which the authorities had taken land from them. They said that despite these new projects, their village's condition had not improved. They lamented that they did not even have a hospital, and they had to travel far for medical attention," said the official.

"Our teams held extended discussions with the locals and made a list of all their requirements. We prioritised their needs and fixed them one by one, after which the villagers realised that we were serious about their welfare," he added.

All this is in addition to the compensation to be given to the land owners. "We are giving compensation at five times the value of the land, and an additional 25 per cent of the value to those who have willingly consented to the land acquisition in Maharashtra and Gujarat," said Kumar.

Sarpanchspeak
Speaking to mid-day, Dilip Bhoir, sarpanch of Silte village, confirmed: "The bullet train officials have indeed been working for our welfare. We gave them a list of our needs, and accordingly, they are upgrading the medical units. We have strictly told them not to get in touch with anybody except the affected land owners. This way, there will be no political interference or unnecessary activism."

Also Read: NHRCL: Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train fares likely between Rs 250 and Rs 3000

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