State Policies and People s Response-Lessons from Hirakud Dam

Lessons from Hirakud Dam Balgovind Baboo The Hirakud Dam in Orissa, the longest earthen dam in the world, was completed in 1956. Has the dam achieved the objectives which had been set for it? More importantly, what is the status and condition of the oustees of the project? This article attempts to reconstruct the social space of the oustees and record their survival strategies.