Families affected by Belo Monte continues to meet to discuss housing issues

During the first week of December 2012, the Movement of People Affected by Dams (MAB) coordinated a series of meetings in the neighborhoods areas affected by the construction of the Belo Monte dam in Altamira (Para state). The aim was to create an own proposal as an alternative to the proposal of the Norte Energia company, the owner of the dam.

The affected population complained that the company has been treating the issue of housing without the participation of the key stakeholders. Norte Energia announced the building of prefabricated homes of only 60 square meters, without taking into consideration the need of families and less than the required quality standards. Moreover, one of the areas planned to resettle the families is next to the city garbage centre. The company plans to move about five thousand families in the next one and a half year.

During the meetings the proposal of the company and their own proposal were discussed. This proposal had already been handed to the Norte Energia during the Resistance day of MAB (March 14th) in 2012, which is still ignored by the company.

“The purpose of the meetings is to continue the discussions with the affected people about housing and to strengthen the organisation against the violations of our rights by the company” said Adriele Victorian, a MAB activist in Altamira. 

The proposal of the people affected by the Belo Monte dam about their resettlement is:

MAIN FEATURES OF WARRANTY OF RIGHTS
a) Consider that the concept of people affected by dams (decree of the federal government of October 2010) includes all families affected by the various negative impacts, regardless of their condition: owning or not immovable property, having or not documents about their own property or activity.

b) Prioritise the resettlement / settlement in relation to the financial compensation, supported by the state policy, within a truly participatory process since its initial phase, containing at least the following elements:

1) Resettlement with all ithe nfrastructure necessary for the collective quality of life.
2) Guarantee of concrete means of subsistence within the family category or according to their choice.
3) Right to the complete resettlement for homeowners, tenants, homeless and children above 18 years, without any kind of onus;
4) All lots must have a minimum area of ??360 m2 (30×12) with houses above 70 m2, that must been located 2 km from the lake as defined by the PBA.
5) That all resettlements have an area of ??collective production and supplemental food income (area to be set according to the number of families).
6) Ensure carters to a suitable area for maintenance activities (where to put carts, horse, etc.).
7) Each way of life and livelihood of different categories (fisherman, farmer, potter, carter, urban worker and others) must be met, every family should have space, infrastructure and all necessary conditions to continue their activity.

8) All property and equipment, individual and collective, must be properly regulated.
9) Take into account the family ties and affinity of the families when relocating them.
10) Allowance for each family, taking into account the number of people (never less than the minimum wage) until the conquest of his livelihood or his recovery.
11) Comply with the organisation of the families in the process of building their homes (monitor, management, supervision, decision about the form of self-construction).
12) Ensurie homes and places for collective use with accessibility to the handicapped people.
13) Ensure that the organisation of the affected populations can choose the construction techniques.
14) Ensure that the families can choose the location of resettlement.
15) Ensure that all materials required for the construction of homes wil be purchased in local shops.