ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL MARGINALIZATION OF IRRIGATION PROJECT DISPLACED PEOPLE

Dams are intended to play a pivotal role in achieving certain developm ental goals, most of which bear some relation to the kind of human wel fare concerns which most people would share. In conditions of widespre ad poverty, frequent occurrence of drought and acute scarcity of drink ing water, large dams were considered as solutions. But the dams deman d large scale investment of scarce and borrowed capital, benefits occu r years after investment. Besides, dams displace a large number of peo ple, whose lives and livelihood are completely transformed in the proc ess, more often negatively. This paper analyses the condition of peopl e displaced by Upper Krishna Irrigation project in Karnataka. Resettle ment of people in areas closer to submergence area, lack of rehabilita tion measures and absence of advocacy groups as facilitators had serio us negative consequences to the displaced people. Multiplicity of cast es, numerical predominance of backward castes and strong economic diff erentials within and between the caste groups effectively curtailed th e people from organising themselves to bargain for better R & R provis ions. The institutional mechanism to carry out R & R work was inadequa te and lacked direction. Further, the R & R machinery was concerned on ly with relocation and the policy did not provide for rehabilitation. As a result people have moved out to a number of places. The Project h as undermined the economic and social position of originally landless labourers and the fishermen. The vulnerable groups such as the harijan s, fishermen and women were left worse off and excessively aggrieved.