Harsud (Madhya Pradesh), June 24: A week from now, the homes of Ganga Ram and Mohammad Ali will be lost under water.

Harsud, a 700-year-old trade centre on Chhota Tawa river that is home to 23,000 people — Ram and Ali among them — is on its last leg as the country’s largest multipurpose dam nears completion.

The Indira Sagar Project threatens to submerge the town 250 km south of Bhopal that served as the tehsil headquarters of Khandwa district.

The dam on the Narmada is already 245 metres high and it is now a matter of days before the river and its tributaries swell and drown Harsud, with its trees, temples, mosques and a church.

Politicians and bureaucrats are reeling out statistics to show that each resident has been given adequate compensation.

But for 45-year-old Ganga Ram, no amount of cash or land is compensation enough for the loss of Harsud. He wonders if chief minister Uma Bharti will fulfill her promise to “shift” the samadhi of local seer Singhaji. Singhaji, born in the 15th century, enjoys the status of saint Kabir, whose following cut across religious barriers. Singhaji practised the Nirguna sect of Hinduism (followers of the Nirguna sect believe God is absolute, abstract and has no form or incarnation). A fair is held in his memory every year at his samadhi in Piplia-Singhaji.

Mohammad Ali, 54, cannot come to terms with leaving the mosque and dargah where he prays regularly. Years ago, when his wife was not conceiving, he had tied a thread on a Thursday as a mannat (wish) at the dargah and a baby boy was born. Ahmad is now a young man of 17.

As residents pull down their own houses to carry with them doors, windows and anything else that is valuable, the bustling town looks like it has been hit by an earthquake. Most of the residents will head to Chhanora (called New Harsud), 45 km away, where the displaced population is to be resettled. The deadline for evacuation is June 30. So far, 800 families have moved.

Uma Bharti, while sympathising with Harsud residents, says there is little she can do. On completion, the project will generate 1,000 MW of electricity in a state where power shortage can topple governments.

Madhya Pradesh has a daily requirement of 4,500 MW but produces only 3,300 MW. The dam will more or less plug the shortfall. In addition, it will also irrigate over 120,000 hectares.

The then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi laid the foundation stone of the project in October 1984, a fortnight before her assassination. Dogged by lack of funds and initial opposition, work really started on the dam in May 1992.

On August 1, 2000, the National Hydroelectric Power Corporation and the government of Madhya Pradesh formed a joint venture to complete the dam, with the power corporation holding 51 per cent stake. The dam, which is 70 per cent complete, is expected to be ready by 2005.

Politicians have started pouring into Harsud. While the ruling BJP is flashing money for rehabilitation, the Congress is speaking up for the displaced people.

As always in such cases, talk of corruption and oustees not being paid compensation is rife. Laxmi Bai, a mother of five, said bank officials were demanding a bribe to allow her to withdraw money from her own account.

Former chief minister Digvijay Singh has paid a visit. He says conditions are unfavourable at the resettlement site and that people are facing difficulties, including shortage of drinking water. But a few months ago, when Digvijay was chief minister, Harsud was not high on his list of priorities.

State minister of commerce and industries Kailash Chawla says a special rehabilitation package has been announced for Harsud, with affected families to get additional benefits of about Rs 40 crore.

But Ali asks: “Can the government give us the same bricks, doors and windows?” It is not easy to tear down one’s own house, he says, loading household articles on carts and barrows with Ahmad in preparation for the journey to Chhanora.