{
  "type": "article",
  "title": "A 250-Year-Old Village Erased for the Uldan Dam: Sagar Families Tear Down Their Own Homes as Rs 3 Lakh Buys Neither Plot Nor Roof",
  "summary": "Salaiya village in Sagar district fell inside the submergence zone of the Uldan dam irrigation project, and its residents were ordered to vacate overnight with just Rs 3 lakh in compensation, leaving them homeless and with nowhere to go.",
  "content": "To an outsider, a house of mud, brick and mortar may look like nothing more than a structure. But to the family living inside it, those walls hold an entire lifetime. Childhoods pass in that courtyard, children grow up under that roof, and every brick is laid with the dreams of years of hard labour. When someone is forced to bring down that very home with their own hands, the pain of that moment defies words. The residents of Salaiya village in Sagar district are living through exactly that grief right now, families turned homeless in a single stroke, with no idea where to go or what to do next.\n\nHomes Emptied Overnight\nBecause of the Uldan dam irrigation project, Salaiya village now falls inside the submergence zone, and people who had lived here for generations were handed orders to vacate at a moment's notice. The roof that had sheltered them for years was gone in an instant. In the name of compensation, these families were given only Rs 3 lakh, a sum so inadequate that it can buy neither a plot of land nor a ready-built house anywhere. No permanent place to resettle has been provided either. On top of that, the villagers are paying out of their own pockets to cart away their household belongings and clear the rubble of their demolished homes. Now, weeping is just about all they have left.\n\nA Blessing for 400 Villages, a Curse for 27\nThe Uldan dam project wears two very different faces. While it is set to be a blessing for 400 villages, it has turned into a curse for the people of 27 others. Among these unfortunate ones is the 250-year-old village of Salaiya, where people have lost not only their homes and their village but have also watched families that lived together for years scatter apart.\n\nSavitribai's Ordeal\nThe story of Savitribai, displaced from the village, bears witness to this tragedy. She says she has two sons, daughters-in-law, three grandchildren from her elder son and two from her younger son. Despite such a large family, none of them received anything.\n\n No compensation has been given for our sons, and nothing has come to me either. Before demolishing the houses, the government people kept saying they would pay an extra Rs 60,000 for transport, but they have given nothing. What are we supposed to do now? We cannot understand anything. We are now moving our household goods to some government land a short distance away, but even there the administration people are saying do not build a permanent house, we may remove you from here too.\n\nHomes Built With Sweat and Blood, Now Pulled Down by Their Own Hands\nThe anguish of 70-year-old Dev Singh Rajput runs just as deep. He says a grave injustice has been done to the villagers and that the compensation fixed for them was far too low. For his land he was given Rs 2 lakh 80 thousand, a figure that rose to Rs 3 lakh once trees and plants were added, while those who had houses on their own land were also paid at arbitrary rates.\n\n The homes we built for our children with our blood and sweat, we now have to break down with our own hands. What greater misfortune could there be? We pray to the government to keep the promise it made before the demolitions, that it would give Rs 1.5 lakh as assistance and Rs 60,000 for transport. Our compensation should also be raised. At this age, who will feed us? That is the worry that haunts us.\nBefore the houses were razed, the government had assured residents of Rs 1.5 lakh in assistance and Rs 60,000 for transport, but according to the villagers that promise remains unfulfilled. Standing at the threshold of old age, their biggest fear is simple: with both their roof and their savings gone, who will put food on their plate?\n\nWhat this means for you\n• Across India: For anyone whose land may be acquired for a dam or large project, this is a warning to get compensation, resettlement and every promised payment fixed in writing before vacating.\n• In Madhya Pradesh (Sagar): Families in the 27 villages hit by the Uldan dam project face a direct blow, as Rs 3 lakh and unkept transport and assistance promises leave them struggling to find a new roof and a permanent place to settle.\n\nQuestions & Answers\n\n1. Why did the people of Salaiya village have to vacate their homes?\nSalaiya village fell inside the submergence zone of the Uldan dam irrigation project, so residents were ordered to empty their houses overnight.\n\n2. How much compensation did the villagers receive?\nThe families were given only Rs 3 lakh as compensation, a sum that can buy neither a plot of land nor a ready-built house.\n\n3. How many villages are affected by the Uldan dam project?\nThe project is described as a blessing for 400 villages, while 27 villages are being displaced by it, including the 250-year-old village of Salaiya.\n\n4. What did the government promise the villagers?\nBefore the demolitions, the government had promised Rs 1.5 lakh in assistance and Rs 60,000 for transport, which according to the villagers has not yet been paid.",
  "url": "https://trendkia.com/en/madhya-pradesh/uldana-bandha-ki-bhenta-charha-dhai-sau-sala-purana-salaiya-ganva-apane-hi-hatho-1461",
  "category": "Madhya Pradesh",
  "publishedAt": "2026-06-17",
  "tags": [
    "Uldan dam project",
    "Salaiya village",
    "Sagar district",
    "displacement compensation",
    "submergence zone",
    "Madhya Pradesh irrigation project",
    "dam displaced"
  ],
  "language": "en",
  "site": "TrendKia"
}