"The migration itself was a major change for us, but the worst was yet to come." Himatbhai Punabhai Nayak
Himatbhai Punabhai Nayak is a villager in Godhra Taluka in Panchamahal District of Gujarat, western India.
The demolition of their village to make room for the construction of a new dam in the region affected him and many others in the community. They had to migrate and build a new village at a different location.
Their displacement is a byproduct of "development-induced development and resettlement."
Nevertheless, Nayak and the villagers have been able to reconstruct their lives because of the efforts of Lok Manch, a people's forum, a Jesuit initiative that offers helpful assistance to marginalized populations.
"The migration itself was a major change for us, but the worst was yet to come,” Nayak says.
“We became aware of the fact that we were without basic amenities like access to roads, safe drinking water, and building supplies,” he adds.
The affected people are leading respectable lives. They had no access to information or financial assistance from the government.
After the residents contacted him, Lok Manch, a Jesuit Missions partner, took steps to improve the new hamlet.
Through discussions with the local administration, it has been successful in securing new homes, restrooms, and the construction of a main road that links the residence to other areas of the area.
A sizable water tank now supplies water to every home, eliminating the need for women to trek far to fill buckets.
Mr. Nayak, a community leader collaborating with Lok Manch, expressed immense gratitude to the Lok Manch team for raising awareness of their predicament and enhancing their quality of life.
"My village now has basic infrastructure and access to government schemes through this intervention, even though there are still unresolved issues,” he adds. – With input from Jesuitmission.org.uk
