Farmers stall work at Pavana dam, held

Nothing up a victory of sorts, farmers protesting at Pavana dam succeeded in suspending renovation work there today. They were arrested by the Lonavla rural police, but were released in the afternoon.

Led by labour leader Baba Adhav under the Maharashtra State Dam and Project Affected Parishad banner, 54 farmers — displaced by the 1972 construction of the dam — descended at the site around noon demanding that strengthening work on the dam be stopped till they get rehabilitated.

Police and state irrigation authorities had locked the gate to the dam. Nevertheless, protestors tried to enter the premises. They then targeted their ire at Sub-Divisional Engineer (Irrigation) A.N. Lolap and demanded answers to their problems.

After half an hour of arguments, Adhav reminded them that their mission for the day was to get suspend work on the dam, to which Lolap gave in and instructed his personnel to cease work for the day.