Manibeli

First submergence village in Maharashtra (tahsil Akkalkua, district Nandurbar), Manibeli was the site of first Satyagraha in the valley from 1991 to 1994. There are still about 70 families in Manibeli, who have not been offered cultivable land in Gujarat or Maharashtra, since about 20 families returned land-titles they had received for bad lands in the early 1980s. With NBA since 1985, people in Manibeli have faced brutal repression and were put in jail. Women compelled police force to leave the village. Submergence impacted 13 houses in 1993 which drowned all belongings.

The dams first victims have put up a brave fight due to which about 20 families not recognized earlier as Project Affected are now recognized and another 29 are yet being scrutinized. All their main landholdings are under water since 1993-94 along with the famous 14th century tribal temple of Shoolpaneswar. Some families speak Gujarati while main language is Bhilari.

Manibeli has a residential school Jeevanshala with 200 children run with Andolans support. All the houses along with school in hamlet Vamipada of Manibeli will be drowned. Having already lost their lands, small hill cultivations and fish cant feed them fully. They have hardly any place to move higher again and build new houses but they will have to. Maharashtra govt. had promised but did not yet pay crop-losses for this village. About 50 houses, and cultivations will be drowned this year. They cannot survive anymore without your support till they get land from the government, maybe with your solidarity.

Life in the Narmada Valley

History of the Struggle