I have been seeing the news of a proposed increase in the height of the dam over the river Narmada in the news for over 3 weeks now and the saga doesn’t seem to end. Or has it finally?
It is said that the increase in the height of the dam would make more water available for 3 states and they had worked out certain percentages for each of them. It was also said that the water shortages in Rajasthan and the Kutch area would be reduced to a large extent. These were the main advantages. But apart from these this project would impact the life of thousands of people living along the Narmada and this increase in height would displace the people from their home. They would no longer be able to cultivate on their fertile lands. When the dam was initially built it was promised by the government that those who would lose their land and homes would be properly rehabilitated. But I don’t think that has happened. The people did get land but it was not as fertile as there old ones.
Apart from people losing their lands the construction of the dam would cause destruction of forests and hamper the lives of the tribal people living there.
These were the reasons why we had two sets of people fighting for a long time and all the news. On one side the governments of the 3 states who were going to be benefited by the dam and on the other side the people who were going to be displaced, the NBA, Aamir Khan and all the environmentalists.
When the initial proposal came out for this we saw the leader of the NBA (Narmada Bachao Andolan), Medha Patkar going on a hunger strike protesting against the rise. I think she was on the 6th or 9th day of strikes when the police arrested her on grounds of attempt of suicide and was then later take to the hospital and admitted in the ICU as she was very weak.
Then we had even the PM coming out in the open saying that the work on the Narmada will continue despite any protests. He also made it clear that proper rehabilitation would be provided for the displaced.
Then we saw the CM of Gujarat Mr. Narendra Singh Modi do a Medha Patkar and go on a hunger strike. He finally broke his fast yesterday.
We also saw Aamir Khan speak out saying that proper rehabilitation should be provided and only then the dam height should be increased. He said one should not benefit at the cost of someone else. I am very happy that he has come out and voiced his opinion and I believe that we need more and more of such celebrities and top officials come out and voice there strong opinions. But my only question is, why only look at human beings, we are going to benefit at the cost of nature, the forests, animals etc. If the case is why benefit at the cost of others, then this dam shouldn’t have been built in the first place.
We even saw effigies of Aamir Khan burnt, posters torn etc.
Is this going to be the new face of Aamir Khan – an extension of Rang De basanti???
The NBA had filed a petition in the Supreme Court against the increase of the height of the dam from 110m to 121.92m. The SC has finally gave its verdict on Monday, 17th April and has said that the work on the Narmada project would be stopped if states involved in the project do not rehabilitate displaced people.
Few hours after hearing this news both Mr Modi and Medha Patkar called off there hunger strikes.
At lease for now the SC has ensured that both parties have been kept happy. Hope at least proper rehabilitation is provided to the people who would be displaced and hope that more people like Aamir Khan come out in the open and voice there strong opinion.
Below are some of the facts of the NBA and the Narmada project in general that I got from one of India’s leading news channel’s website (www.ibnlive.com):
• Narmada Bachao Andolan has been active for around two decades now. But that has not stopped planners from increasing the height of the Sardar Sarovar Dam.
• Of the 30 large dams planned on river Narmada, Sardar Sarovar is the largest. With a proposed height of 136.5 m, it's also high on discord between the planners and the Narmada Bachao Andolan
• The government claims the multi-purpose project will irrigate more than 1.8 million hectares - most of it in drought prone areas like - Kutch and Saurashtra.
• But Sardar Sarovar spells doom for close to three lakh twenty thousand people, mostly tribal’s who'll get displaced. The state government had promised to rehabilitate these people, but it's failed to do so. And despite that, the height of the dam has been increased several times in recent years.
• In February 1999, the Supreme Court gave the go ahead for the dam's height to be raised to 88 metres from the initial 80.
• In October 2000 again, in a 2 to 1 majority judgement in the Supreme Court, the government was allowed to construct the dam up to 90 metres.
• Then in May 2002, the Narmada Control Authority approved increasing the height of the dam by another five metres.
• And a couple of years later, in March 2004, the authority allowed another raise - this time to 110metres.
• Now the most recent move in March 2006, the Narmada Control Authority gave clearance for the height of the dam to be increased from 110.64 metres to 121.92.
• It was after this last judgement that protestors gathered in the capital and activist Medha Patkar went on an indefinite hunger.
Please remember that:
• The facts written in this post were just a top of the mind recall and any discrepancies were not intentional.
• No personal grudges were intended against any particular person/party/state mentioned in this post.
• All people mentioned in this post are doing their best to serve and fight for their own causes.
