The Supreme Court, on Monday, will hear a petition filed by 45 families from the Narmada basin, alleging that they are being evicted from their present homes without rehabilitation.
The matter has taken a political turn with Medha Patkar going on an indefinite hunger strike and Narendra Modi, chief minister of Gujarat sitting on a counter strike for 51 hours.
Modi is protesting against what he calls the collusion of the central government with the Narmada Bachao Andolan, which wants immediate stoppage of the the raising of the height of the Sardar Sarovar dam and proper rehabilitation of the oustees.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had told members of the Gujarat Assembly on Sunday that the work would not be stopped and the government will await orders of the Supreme courte.
The court had allowed raising of the height to 121.92 meters on the condition that all the oustees would be properly rehabilitated and they would be given enough time to move out from their current homes.
A three-member group of ministers led by Saifuddin Soz, Minister for Water Resources, had visited the site and had come out with a report that the construction was going on but the rehabilitation process had not been given due priority.
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