Dam height decision left to PM

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Rajdeep Sardesai

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Keywords: Medha Patkar, Sardar Sarovar Dam

More protestors at Jantar Mantar

On Friday, seven more people joined the NBA’s protest against the Sardar Sarovar Dam. The condition of Jamsingh Nargave and Bhagwati Patidar, two activists who are on a hunger strike, is critical.

After the three began their strike, a Group of Ministers visited the Narmada Valley and submitted a report to the Prime Minister.

There was no "positive response" from the PMO, which prompted the other seven to also join the strike.

"We had written to the PMO under the Right to Infromation Act two days ago. Today, we got a letter from them saying they had forwarded our request to the Ministry of Water Resources for necessary action. How long are we supposed to wait," environmentalist Shekhar Singh told reporters here.

Right to Information activist and Magsaysay awardee Aruna Roy demanded that all official documents related to Sardar Sarovar Project be made public.

"In the Common Minimum Programme, the United Progressive Alliance had promised that they would encourage more effective systems of relief and rehabilitation for tribals. Then why are they not listening to these people. It proves that their assurances are all a big mockery," she said.

Narmada Bachao Andolan: A recap

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 tribals 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 upto 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.