Q. When Was Sardar Sarovar Dam First Envisaged?

Drowned by the Dam

By Medha Patkar: Social Activist with Narmada Bachao Andolan and National Alliance of People’s Movements

Source – Indian Express

Date – Oct 7, 2017

Q. When was Sardar Sarovar Dam first envisaged?

1. The Sardar Sarovar Dam that came up as part of the Narmada Valley Development plan, was first conceived in the pre-Independence era in 1946, for harnessing the Narmada river water for irrigation and power generation.

Q. Where is the dam built?

1. The Sardar Sarovar Dam has been built on the Narmada that originates in Madhya Pradesh and passes through Gujarat and Maharashtra before draining into the Arabian Sea.

Q. Why was there a reliance on big projects in the Nehruvian era?

It was believed that mega developmental projects were crucial for rapid progress of India, which had been a colony of the industrial Britain for almost 200 years.

Q. Which was the first mega Dam of India?

The first mega dam of India was Bhakra Nangal Dam and the then honourable PM, Jawaharlal Nehru called it the “the new temple of resurgent India”.

Q. When was the foundation stone of Sardar Sarovar Project built?

Jawaharlal Nehru laid the foundation stone of the Sardar Sarovar Project on April 5, 1961. But, the project hit several hurdles - financial and environmental for years. Twenty-six years after foundation stone was laid, it got environmental clearance only in April 1987 when Rajiv Gandhi was the Prime Minister.

Q. What were the protests by Environmentalists and Environmental institutes?

1. The environmental clearance given by Rajiv Gandhi Government was received with vehement opposition by the environmentalists, social workers, prominent scientists including Baba Amte, M S Swaminathan, Satish Dhawan and Anil Aggarwal who sent memorandum to the then PM asking him to reconsider the environmental clearance granted to the project.
2. According to a report of India Today dated May 1987, the Narmada Sagar and Sardar Sarovar Dams would also cause the largest submergence recorded in the country, 1.12 lakh hectares, inundating, in the process, 45,000 hectares of rich rain forests and 40,000 hectares of fertile black cotton soil and pastures and orchards. The long-term implication of the ecological damage is enormous.
3. Some of the country's best deciduous forests (estimated value: Rs 330 crore), will be completely destroyed and the Forest Research Institute computes the total environmental loss from the region at the rate of Rs 1.2 crore per hectare for 50 years.
4. The World Rainforest Action Network has decided to pressurise the World Bank against funding the Narmada project

Q. What was Medha Patkar’s contribution for Narmada Bachao Andolan?

1. In 1985, when Medha Patkar was a Phd Student she visited some of the villages to be affected by the river valley development programme.
2. Medha Patkar submitted her critique of the project to the government espousing the cause of the displaced people who had not been rehabilitated or "informed" properly about the government's plan. Medha Patkar also tried to impress upon the World Bank, which stopped funding the Sardar Sarovar Dam in 1994.
3. When things did not go to the satisfaction of the activists, Medha Patkar dropped her PhD study and along with veteran activist Baba Amte led the Narmada Bachao Andolan (Save Narmada Movement) or the NBA. Medha Patkar undertook several fasts for weeks.

Q. What was the stand of the SC after Ms. Patkar’s Agitation?

A.

When NBA approached the SC, the honourable court issued a stay order to suspend the construction work on Narmada Valley Project in 1996, on the grounds of environmental damage and rehabilitation of the affected people.

The Government worked on the concerns raised in the SC in both the affected states of MP and Gujarat, and in October 2000, the SC vacated its order paving way for resuming construction of the dam

Q. What was the condition laid down by the Supreme Court?

The SC set a condition about the height of the Sardar Sarovar Dam. The height of the dam could be increased only in parts depending upon the rehabilitation of or compensation given to the project-affected-people (PAP).

Q. When was the Sardar Sarovar Dam Commissioned?

The Sardar Sarovar Dam was commissioned in 2006 when Narendra Modi was the Chief Minister of Gujarat while Congress-led UPA government ruled at the Centre.

Q. What is the historic progression regarding the height of the dam?

1. 90 metres - The Supreme Court order of 2000 allowed the government to construct the Sardar Sarovar Dam up to 90-metre high - which can be increased in phased manner depending on clearance by the appropriate body.
2. 95 meters - In May 2002, the Narmada Control Authority gave the government permission to increase the height of the dam to 95 metres.
3. 110 meters - Two years later in March 2004, the Authority allowed the government to raise it up to 110 metres.

1. 121.92 meters - But, in 2003, the Supreme Court again stayed the construction work for increasing the height of the dam. As the rehabilitation and compensation work progressed, the Narmada Control Authority gave clearance for increasing the height of the dam to 121.92 metres in March 2006, the year the Sardar Sarovar Dam was commissioned.
2. 131.5 meters - The monsoon of 2013 saw the reservoir level increasing to 131.5 metre in the month of August. The overflowing water from the Sardar Sarovar Dam inundated neighbouring villages forcing more than 7,000 villagers in the Narmada upstream relocate.
3. 138.68 meters One year later, in June 2014, the Narmada Control Authority gave its final clearance to raise the height from 121.92 m metres to 138.68 metres.
4. In June 2017, the Narmada Control Authority ordered to close all the 30 gates of the Sardar Sarovar Dam to fill the reservoir to its fullest height.
5. Prime Minister Narendra Modi dedicated the Sardar Sarovar Dam to the nation, almost after six decades of its inception to the nation on 17th September.

Q. When did the serious conflict resolution of tribunal start?

It started in 1961.

Q. What are the concerns to complete the present Sardar Sarovar Project be completed?

. The present Sardar Sarovar Project, the 455-feet dam, is to be completed by filling a huge reservoir of 40,000 hectare, ousting 244 villages and one township — partly or fully.

Q. What was the SC’s ruling on the compensation package?

1. On Feb 8, the SC ruled that those entitled to the land be paid a package of Rs. 60 Lakh. Those who had earlier received a meagre package be paid Rs. 15 Lakh.
2. The Court also directed that all amenities, mandatory under law, should be in place at every resettlement site by June 2017

Q. What are the concerns regarding the Grievance Redressal Authority?

1. The Grievance Redressal Authority was given the responsibility to receive complaints and pass orders that had to be implemented by the state authority.
2. The state as well as the Grievance Redressal Authority have not fulfilled their duty but have been insistent that the “oustees” should have left their lands by July 31.

Q. Why have the oustees not left the land by July 31?

1. All those eligible for compensation having not received the rehabilitation package
2. The rehabilitation sites are not ready with respect to lack of drinking water supplies, lack of drainage facilities that have led to water logging and lack of grazing land for cattle.

Q. Right to rehabilitation is a part of which fundamental right under the constitution of India?

It is a part of Right to life upheld by a three-member bench of the apex court.

Q. what are the highlights of 900 crore package for the oustees as advertised by the MP Govt.?

The package was largely planned for temporary settlement. the main highlights being as follows:

1. The package consists of Tin sheds of 150 to 200 square feet each, fodder for cattle and food camps for thousands of families, all for four months.
2. These are families of farmers who will lose prime agriculture land and at least a few thousand cattle in each village. They also include self-employed fisherpeople, potters, boatmen, traders, agricultural labourers.
3. In response to the Satyagraha by those threatened with displacement, the MP government declared packages that contain promises for cash, rights to fisherpeople, potters and boatmen.But these haven’t materialised and the people continue to struggle non-violently against the violent path of development.

Q. What are the temples of Modern India?

1. Temples of modern India was a term coined by India's first Prime Minister Jawahar Lal Nehru while inaugurating Bhakra Nangal Dam to describe scientific research institutes, steel plants, power plants, dams being launched in India after independence to jumpstart scientific and industrial progress. Dams are known as temples of modern India.
2. These projects were part of his vision of development of modern India with a mix of heavy industries and scientific research institutes.
3. Most of the PSUs and scientific institutions such as the IITs were created by him as part of his vision of modern India.
   

MAIN QUESTION

In almost every project, be it related to infrastructure or “smart-city”, there is little concern for compensation and mitigation. Explain this statement with respect to the Sardar Sarovar Dam project which was dedicated to the nation recently.

The Sardar Sarovar Dam, one of the Nehruvian Era ‘temples of modern India’, came up as a part of the Narmada Valley Development plan in 1946 for harnessing the Narmada river water for irrigation and power generation.Jawaharlal Nehru laid the foundation stone of the Sardar Sarovar Project on April 5, 1961. But, the project hit several hurdles - financial and environmental for years. Twenty-six years after foundation stone was laid, it got environmental clearance only in April 1987.

There were many protests from Environmentalists, social workers, prominent scientists and environmental organizations to reconsider the environmental clearance granted to the project. According to various reports, the project would have caused the largest submergence, inundation of rich fertile black cotton soil, pastures, orchards and rich rain forests. According to Forest Research Institute, some of the country's best deciduous forests, will be completely destroyed. The World Rainforest Action Network has decided to pressurise the World Bank against funding the Narmada project.

Medha Patkar submitted her critique of the project to the government espousing the cause of the displaced people who had not been rehabilitated or "informed" properly about the government's plan.Medha Patkar also tried to impress upon the World Bank, which stopped funding the Sardar Sarovar Dam in 1994.

After Patkar’s agitation the honourable Supreme Court issued a stay order to suspend the construction work on Narmada Valley Project in 1996, on the grounds of environmental damage and rehabilitation of the affected people. It was revoked in 2000, after the Government worked on the concerns in the affected states of MP and Gujarat. The SC set a condition about the height of the Sardar Sarovar Dam. The height of the dam could be increased only in parts depending upon the rehabilitation of or compensation given to the project-affected-people (PAP).

The present Sardar Sarovar Project, the 455-feet dam, is to be completed by filling a huge reservoir of 40,000 hectare, ousting 244 villages and one township — partly or fully. On Feb 8, the SC ruled that those entitled to the land be paid a package of Rs. 60 Lakh. Those who had earlier received a meagre package be paid Rs. 15 Lakh. The Court also directed that all amenities, mandatory under law, should be in place at every resettlement site by June 2017.

Accordingly the Grievance Redressal Authority was given the responsibility to receive complaints and pass orders that had to be implemented by the state authority.The state as well as the Grievance Redressal Authority have not fulfilled their duty but have been insistent that the “oustees” should have left their lands by July 31. However, all those eligible for compensation having not received the rehabilitation package. The rehabilitation sites are not ready with respect to lack of drinking water supplies, lack of drainage facilities that have led to water logging and lack of grazing land for cattle. The right to rehabilitation is a part of Right to life upheld by a three-member bench of the apex court.

The MP Govt. had advertised for a 900 crore rehabilitation package which is largely temporary in nature. the promises of the plan haven’t materialised and the people continue to struggle non-violently against the violent path of development.

Thus in almost every project, there seems to be little concern for compensation and mitigation. People in the Narmada Valley have realised this over the past three decades. Dams as a resource transfer from nature-based communities to urban India must be avoided at all costs, else, we will be doomed as a civilisation as the force of nature is punishing us through typhoons, melting glaciers, floods and droughts.

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