40 Years Too Late: Dam that farmers of Rohile village in Nashik asked for in 1980s now divides them

Nashik: A recent move by the water department in Trimbakeshwar taluka has left a village divided.
A number of farmers from Rohile village in the taluka have now opposed land measurement being carried out by the department for the construction of a minor dam. But the dam project comes 40 years too late for some villagers as they said their farms today have sufficient water, drawn from the medium-level Kashyapi dam and several other minor dams in the area.
"We had first asked for that minor dam sometime in the 80s, when we had no water. Govt had refused then," said Raghunath Rohile, a farmer in the village. "Today, we have at least three medium and minor dams that are not even 4km away. So we really don't need another one," Rohile said.
The farmers said the construction of the dam, on 54 hectares of land that's yet to be acquired, would also displace a large number of people, mostly from the tribal communities. "They will lose their homes and farms. There is no point to this dam," said Madhukar Tidme, another resident of Rohile.
Tidme added: "Earlier, there was a plan to build the dam on 127 hectares. After protests, the department reduced its size and land measurement is now on for 54 hectares. We will continue to oppose the project because people will have no land left."
He also alleged that a section of villagers who were in support of the dam were those who would lose only small parts of their farms to the project.
Sarpanch of the village, Sachin Tidme, denounced the protests against the dam project. "We've been asking for that dam for 40 years. It will help the village. The gram panchayat said the construction would boost development in the region. Those opposing the project have no real reason for doing so," he said.