Mumbai: After a visit to farmers and tribals in Gujarat, officials from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) met the Palghar farmers regarding land acquisition for the bullet train Wednesday.
The farmers had collectively stated that they were not ready to give even an inch of land for the project, claiming that the only beneficiary of this project was big business and that farmers could lose their livelihood after giving up the land.
During its two-day visit starting January 22, the JICA team met farmers from Bharodi village in Bhiwandi, Mhatardi village in Dahanu taluka, and Dhamangaon and Amgaon villages in Talasari taluka. The next day, the team also met farmers in Hanumannagar and Kalale villages in Palghar taluka. Around 100 farmers gathered in Palghar, and largely opposed the land acquisition process and construction of the bullet train along these areas.
“The government has not been able to take us into confidence about the project and the farmers feel that the project affected people will be left without any livelihood after their lands have been taken for the project. The villagers of the rehabilitation colony of Hanuma-nnagar fear that the bullet train will lead to their displacement for the second time after they had earlier been displaced due to the Surya project,” said Sam-eer Vartak, member of the Paryavaran Samvard-han Samitee, the group campaigning against the bullet train. The villagers of Palghar district have been largely cultivating rice on the land affected by the project.
“The fact that the bullet train will traverse through 5 kilometres of mangrove wetlands, thus affecting the ecology and livelihoods of people, has scared the villagers of Mhatardi village,” said Brian Lobo, who also participated in the meeting with the JICA representatives.
Villagers from Bharodi village also raised apprehensions about losing their entire landholding in the 60 acres of land being acquired for construction of the car shed.
Officials from the National High Speed Rail Corporation Limited said that the land acquisition had only been getting resistance in the Dahanu and Talasari talukas.
