Nearly 100 people have been holding “Jal Satyagraha” at Rengali dam in Angul district of Odisha for the last 12 days to demand adequate compensation for the land they had given for the construction of the dam 45 years back.

They have been spending time in knee-deep water throughout the day and even in neck-deep water defying the chill and returning to the banks during the night. They are holding the Jal Satyagraha in the water of Rengali Dam at Gurusulei under Pallahara block in Angul district, about 250km from the state capital Bhubaneswar.

The Rengali dam over river Brahmani is the second largest reservoir after the Hirakud reservoir.

Besides the compensation, they also demanded regularisation of land records (patta) in their names which they had got from the government for rehabilitation purposes instead of the land they had given for the construction of the barrage.

One of the Jal Satyagrahi Gopal Chandra Biswal, 71, told The Telegraph: “I still remember those days when our family was evicted for the construction of the Rengali dam over river Brahmani. Our family had given 47 acres of land to the government. The state government at that time took away the land at a throwaway price. Fearing police atrocities, like others, our family remained silent at that time.”

Biswal, a farmer, said: “Instead of 47 acres of land, the state government had given us around 2 lakhs and 6 acres of land. The land has failed to meet our needs. Besides, we have not been properly rehabilitated and are raising the issue time and time again. But our demands are yet to be addressed.”

President of the displaced people of Pallahara, Dr Santosh Kumar Dehuri said: “Over 13,000 people comprising 263 villages have been affected. The state government took away 35,128.69 acres of land. People were not given adequate compensation.”

Dehuri said: “We have been raising the issue of adequate compensation consistently. Following a protest, chief minister Naveen Patnaik in 2010 had announced to give Rs 50,000 per acre for the land losers of the Rengali project. But the government is yet to release that compensation. This time, we started the indefinite agitation from December 1.”

Another agitator Ashok Mohanty said: “During the rehabilitation, the state government has given land and issued K2 pattas (temporary pattas). As the temporary pattas have not been converted to permanent pattas, we are neither able to sell the land nor use it for any purpose. Even a permanent patta is required, if we have to sell our paddies at the Mandi (depot).”

The land losers have threatened to take up a “Jal Samadhi” (burial in water) if the government fails to address the issue giving Rs 50,000 per acre and converting the land record from temporary to permanent one.

Union minister Dharmendra Pradhan has taken up the issue with chief minister Naveen Patnaik and urged him to take steps to fulfil their outstanding demands.

On being asked why they raised the issue now, an agitator said: “It’s election time. All the political parties will back us. There is a hope that the government will listen to us. We don’t want to miss the opportunity.”