Fearing the work on Larsen & Toubro project will submerge their agriculture land, 30 farmers from the coastal village of Sunvali in Surat district have approached the Gujarat High Court.

The villagers, demanding a high-level probe into the process under which the state government allegedly undervalued the land and gave it to L&T, are also seeking direction from the HC to restrain L&T from continuing its activity which is posing danger not only to their village but also to their agriculture land.

According to the details of the case, the state government had sanctioned more than 8.53 lakh square metre land to L&T to set up a Gas Turbine and Coal Fired Power Equipment Plant in 2008.

Incidentally, the land granted to L&T is low-lying area and it encircles the agriculture fields of Sunvali villagers and a part of the village too. The land given to the company, being a low-lying area, gets filled with sea water during high tides.

“The company has started filling its land with soil without even getting the mandatory permission of Coastal Regulatory Zone Management Authority. And if the company fills its land with soil, the high tide water will enter into the village,”

said the petitioners’ lawyer, K K Trivedi.

“So, we are praying the court either to restrain the company from filling the low-lying area or to direct it to make sure the water does not enter into the village during high tides by constructing a retaining wall around the village,” he added.

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