Medha Patkar’s health worsens further as her fast enters 9th day

Dhar: The health condition of Narmada Bachao Andolan (NBA) leader Medha Patkar, who is on an indefinite fast since July 27, seeking a proper rehabilitation of those affected by the Sardar Sarovar dam, has worsened, with her blood pressure and sugar level falling.

“Doctors examined her last night and found that her blood pressure and sugar level were low. In the morning, they went to examine her again, but Patkar and the other agitators refused to be examined,” said Additional Collector DK Nagendra, who is camping in the area.

Patkar (62) and 11 other activists have been on a hunger strike for nine days at Chikhalda in Dhar district of Madhya Pradesh.

Janata Dal (United) leader Sharad Yadav on Friday wrote to Patkar, urging her to end the fast, said NBA activists.

Meanwhile, the additional collector claimed that the people whose houses would face submergence after the gates of the Sardar Sarovar dam were closed in neighbouring Gujarat were moving to the rehabilitation sites, offered to them by the government, in large numbers and that there had not been any untoward incident anywhere.

However, hundreds of the affected people on Friday marched to the Narmada Valley Development Authority office in the district and demanded to know from the officials as to where and how the process of rehabilitation was taking place.

Former Congress MP Gajendra Singh Rajukhedi, Dhar

district Congress chief Balmukund Singh Gautam and the party’s MLA from Kukshi, Surendra Singh Baghel, went to Chikhalda to pay a visit to Patkar.

“The government is not at all serious about the

rehabilitation,” alleged Rajukhedi, while criticising Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan for “only making big statements”.

Thousands of families in Madhya Pradesh’s Barwani, Dhar, Alirajpur and Khargone districts would have to vacate their houses, which would be submerged once the gates of the dam were closed and the water level in its catchment area rose.

The Centre recently allowed the closing of the dam’s gates in a phased manner.

The state government had said earlier this week that over 7,000 families were still staying put in the catchment area, refusing to vacate their houses.