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2021 | Anthropo-Indialogs 1(1-2): 17-30 © ARF India. All Right Reserved URL : www.arfjournals.com NAGARAJU CHIKKALA1 AND K. ANIL KUMAR2 1Programme Coordinator, AP Society for Social Audit Accountability and Tansparency (APSSAAT), Department of Rural Development, Govt of Andhra Pradesh, Guntur Email:[email protected] 2Assistant Professor, Discipline of Anthropology, School of Social Sciences, Indira Gandhi National Open University, New Delhi Email:[email protected] Received: 14 Dec. 2020 / Revised: 18 Dec. 2020 / Accepted: 26 Dec. 2021 / Published: 15 January 2021 Abstract: In India, the Scheduled Tribes population is around 8.6% of the total population of the country. There is considerable progress of these communities in terms of many human development indicators. Acquisition of land for development projects have often become a major threat to the tribal people. Displacement of tribal people from their original habitats causing further marginalized. They are the worst sufferers since independence of development projects such as dams, industries, roads, quarrying and mining operations etc. It is largely this group that is paying for the development of India. A majority of the displaced people have not been properly resettled or given adequate compensation. Cash payment does not really compensate the tribals for the difficulties they experience in their lifestyle and ethos. The tribal people of Andhra Pradesh have been the disproportionate victims of dam displacement. With this backdrop, the present paper examines the issues of compensation and resettlement of Indira Sagar Project. An ethnographic study conducted in the village Devargondi. Anthropological tools and techniques were used in collection of primary data. Keywords: dam, displacement, tribals , resettlement, compensation, andhra pradesh INTRODUCTION Development-induced displacement is increasing in depth and intensity all over the world and particularly in developing countries. Infrastructural development in the period 1990-2000 caused the displacement of 90-100 million (Cernea and McDowell, 2000). The greatest burden of displacement is caused by dam construction which is credited with the displacement of 40-80 million people (Cernea, 2000; WCD, 2000). Growing developmental projects have been causing massive acquisition of land and displacing millions of people in different parts of the world, including India. The development projects in today’s globalised world such as dams, industries, roads, mines, infrastructure, power plants, special economic zones, and new cities are intended to promote national, regional, and local development. It is said that for any development project the cost has to necessarily be borne by the displaced and affected population. 18 Anthropo-Indialogs In most developing countries such as China, India, Zambia, Ghana large scale development projects have rendered increasingly sizeable population homeless, landless, jobless and food insecure, considering that their socio-economic asset base is often destroyed (Oliver-Smith 2009; Bond and Kirsch 2015). Globally, it is estimated that approximately 15 million people are forced to leave their homes to give way for huge development projects every year (Carnea and Mathur, 2008). A majority of the displaced people have not been properly resettled or given adequate compensation. For instance, in India 75 percent of displaced people have not been “rehabilitated” (Fernandes, W, 1991; Fernandes, Walter & Thukral. 1989). Their livelihoods have not been restored; in fact, the vast majority of development resettlers in India have become impoverished (Mahapatra, L. K. 1999). Resettlement & Rehabilitation (R&R hereafter) policies have been unable to avoid the impoverishment of the displaced population and restore the previous level of well-being (Cernea and Mathur, 2008). In India, the Scheduled Tribes population is around 8.6% of the total population of the country. There is considerable progress of these communities in terms of many human development indicators. Acquisition of land for development projects have often become a major threat to the tribal people. Displacement of tribal people from their original habitats causing further marginalized. They are the worst sufferers since independence of development projects such as dams, industries, roads, quarrying and mining operations etc. A recent estimate suggests that at least 55% of those displaced across India are tribal people (GoI 2004). It is largely this group that is paying for the development of India. A majority of the displaced people have not been properly resettled or given adequate compensation. Cash payment does not really compensate the tribals for the difficulties they experience in their lifestyle and ethos. The tribal people of Andhra Pradesh have been the disproportionate victims of dam displacement. With this backdrop, the present paper examines the issues of compensation and resettlement of Indira Sagar Project. METHODOLOGY AND STUDY AREA The present study has made an attempt to find out the impact of involuntary displacement and rehabilitation of Indira Sagar Project (Polavaram) on the tribal community in Andhra Pradesh. An ethnographic method has been adopted to carry out this study. Before the main fieldwork, a pilot study conducted in project-affected areas. The pilot study was conducted for 15 days from 2nd to 16 in month of December, 2014. At the time of pilot study visited the villages that were in the first phase of relocation. The pilot study was helped to identify the study village and also helped in rapport building with the villagers. To Issues of Resettlement and Compensation of Indira Sagar Project in Andhra Pradesh 19 know the magnitude of displaced people and the implications of rehabilitation and resettlement policy, an empirical study conducted in west Godavari district. The fieldwork of research was conducted in February 2015 and continued till May 2015. The second phase of the fieldwork was conducted in November and December 2015. For the collection of primary data and to reach the objectives of the study, six months of fieldwork conducted in the project-affected area. The study of involuntary displacement is methodologically complex in nature. Therefore, multiple tools and techniques were used to study the various aspects of displacement, and rehabilitation. The following anthropological tools and techniques were used: • observation, • informal and formal discussion, • household interview, • case study, and • focus group discussion. Secondary data has been collected from books, articles, reports and available literature. The secondary data about project-affected area and people was derived from the records of revenue department, land acquisition, and resettlement and rehabilitation office. INDIRA SAGAR PROJECT AND DISPLACEMENT OF POPULATION The Indira Sagar (known as Polavaram) project is a major multipurpose irrigation project which is constructed on Godavari River, close to Ramayyapeta village of Polavaram mandal in West Godavari district, Andhra Pradesh. The Indira Sagar Project is the most awaited major irrigation project for many decades. Most Central and state-based political parties have given priority to construction of this project across the Godavari River. The construction of Indira Sagar dam is a political and controversial issue involving political parties, civil society organizations, independent researchers and NGOs. Though, many people are agitating against it and there is much opposition but finally work on the project has gained momentum in the year 2004. The Andhra Pradesh State Re-organization Act, 2014 declared the project as a national project in March 2014 (Government of India, 2014). According to the assessment report of Reddy, N.S (1996), total 276 villages are affected by the project housing 1, 77,275 people consisting 44,574 households. The project involves submerging 28,336 cattle sheds, 69,255 productive trees. Of these project-affected people, 47% are scheduled tribes and 14.4% are scheduled castes. And the IEA, 2005 mentioned based on the information extrapolated from the 2001 Census of India, total affected 20 Anthropo-Indialogs population is 1,70,000. Of the total, scheduled tribes (47%) and scheduled castes (14.4%) and the total affected villages are 157. It is reported that over 276 villages in the state of Andhra Pradesh are likely to be submerged. In Odisha 10 villages and in Chhattisgarh 7 villages are going to be submerged. The total submerging villages in this project are 293 (Reddy, N.S, 1996). According to a study by Agricultural Finance Corporation Limited based on the 2001 Census, a total of 2,36,834 people are affected by the project, of which the male constitute 1,17,321 and the female 1,19,513. Among them, 53.17 per are tribals. Tribals and dalits together account for 65.75 per cent of the displaced population. ISSUES OF RESETTLEMENT AND COMPENSATION The study village Devaragondi is a newly established resettlement and rehabilitation (R&R) colony, constructed close to the Polavaram mandal headquarters which is 2 km from the village. The village is submerged by the Polavaram dam and it is the first village as a model village shifted from the old village which was located in the dam site. The Devaragondi village is a tribal village, inhabited Koya community. The villagers shifted from the old village to new R&R colony in 2012. Devaragondi is a revenue village which comes under Mamidiondi panchayat village, Mamidigondi panchayat consists two villages:

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