Balangir, April 11: A 40-year-old villager, who had gone to the Lower Suktel irrigation site to oppose the project work, died of sunstroke today.

The deceased has been identified as Raj Kishor Udurkulia, 40, of Podhmund village. He went to the project site at Pardhiapali to protest against the construction yesterday alleging that he had not been given proper compensation. His village will be submerged by the project.

With the mercury hovering around 42°C, Raj Kishore reportedly fell ill because of acute dehydration. His condition became serious after he returned home last evening. He was brought to the district headquarters hospital here where he died.

Doctors who attended to him said Raj Kishore had died of sunstroke. Police sent the body to his village after post-mortem.

In another development, 14 of the 68 members of the Lower Suktel Budi Anchal Sangram Parishad who were lodged at Balangir jail following arrest, were admitted to the district headquarters hospital here as their health condition deteriorated.

All the protesters had been on an indefinite hunger strike since Tuesday opposing the project.