The avoidable flood disaster brought in Gujarat and upstream Madhya Pradesh, starting from the night of Sept 16, 2023 by unaccountable operation of the Sardar Sarovar Project (SSP) Dam has created unimaginable impacts for lakhs of people in several districts, the full contours of the damage are still not fully available. But another intriguing aspect of this man-made disaster has come to light. Shockingly, there was no power generation at the 1200 MW River Bed Power House (RBPH) of the SSP from Sept 6 to Sept 16. This not only means loss of power generation of about 270 million units (MU, worth over Rs 80 Crores even at low price of Rs 3 per unit), but also it would have meant release of 1200 cumecs or, 42000 cusecs and over ten days, this would have meant reduction of about 12000 cumecs or 4.2 lakh cusecs from peak discharge, and this itself would have hugely reduced the flood disaster.

Involvement of large number of official agencies

Since SSP is an interstate project with power shared by Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Gujarat in the ratio of 57:27:16, the decision about operation of SSP power houses is taken by the inter-state coordinating body Narmada Control Authority (NCA). So the decision about stopping the operation of all six units of RBPH from Sept 5 must have been taken and approved by NCA. It also means that this decision had the approval of BJP ruled state governments of Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra, since they are the 57 and 27% beneficiary of the power generated at RBPH. Since NCA is essentially under Union Jal Shakti Ministry, it implies that the ministry was also in the know and had approved this step. All this goes to show that this a pre-planned move with approval and knowledge of all number of agencies.

Missing daily reports on NCA website

The NCA website daily provides the reservoir and plant report. The reservoir report provides the daily level, inflow and outflows from key reservoirs in the Narmada Valley including SSP. The Daily Plant report provides the daily generation at RBPH and CHPH (Canal Head Power House) of SSP. However, in a strange turn of events, currently, NCA website has no such reports since Sept 6, 2023.

To ascertain if the RBPH was indeed not operational for ten full days before Sept 16, 2023, we had to take recourse to alternative official sources of information, namely website of the Western Region Load Despatch Centre and the daily generation reports from National Power Portal. The date wise information on both websites corroborate that indeed none of the six 200 MW units of RBPH were operational for ten days from Sept 6 to Sept 15 (both included). During these dates four of the five 50 MW units of CHPH (the fifth one was under outage) were operational, but that too far below full capacity.

Considering that during lower rainfall August 2023, RBPH generated 842.67 MU, or about 27.18 MU per day, when the water level was also generally lower than that in Sept 2023, we can assume that RBPH could have generated at least 27 MU of power during these ten days. According to SSNNL 2023 Flood Memorandum[iii], a unit of RBHP releases 200 cumecs (7000 cusecs) water when runs at full capacity, so 6 units of RBPH would release 1200 cumecs (42000 Cusecs) water. When the total water release thus forgone due to stoppage of RBPH for ten days is counted and it would mean reduction of peak discharge from 18.61 lakh cusecs (0500 hrs on Sept 17) to no more than 13.42 lakh cusecs by this factor alone. Considering that the SSNNL authorities had about 72 additional hours to take advance action, the peak discharge from SSP could have been brought down further to around 6-7 lakh cusecs, which would have meant practically no flooding.

It is clear that due to the blundering of a number of agencies including SSNNL, Gujarat government, CWC, NCA and others, the Sardar Sarovar Dam ended up creating a man-made disaster that was completely avoidable. Whether their objective was to present a full SSP releasing water from the spillways on Sept 17, 2023, for PM’s birthday is secondary issue.

The fact is they ended up creating the massive avoidable flood disaster for lakhs of people upstream and downstream of SSP. And since they have done in the past, including 2019 and 2020 and got away unpunished means they would continue to do that for the SSP upstream and downstream population, the threat of man-made disaster will keep looming every year.

Damage worse than in Sept 2020

The full scale of the damage created by this man-made disaster is not yet known, but from whatever information is available so far, it clear that this year, the damage is much more than in the similar man-made disaster in Sept 2020. This clearly indicated by the much larger peak releases from SSP this year, at 18.61 lakh cusecs compared to around 10.5 lakh cusecs in Sept 2020. According to one report, the damage in Bharuch district alone as per available information is:

– Cities like Bharuch, Ankleshwar severely affected.
– In 4 talukas, in 216 villages, 59164 pucca houses and 44911 kutcha houses affected.
– Crops in 1.34 lakh ha destroyed.
– 5.94 people have been affected one way or the other.
– There are huge impacts on business, industries, people’s houses, and lives in general.

SSP got 50 year flood this time

If we go by the SSP flood manual 2023, the 50 year flood inflow at SSP is supposed to be 62,345 cumecs or 22.07 lakh cusecs. Compared to that, the peak inflow into SSP this time was 63950 cumecs or 22.58 lakh cusecs, at 0100 hrs on Sept 17. As we noted earlier this was the result of the heavy upstream rainfall that started on Sept 14, which both CWC and SSNNL failed to take into account and forecast the inflows. This abject failure of both these institutes raises serious questions about our ability to forecast such floods and take advance action. If with all the available information, if we cannot forecast even peak inflows, how can be hope to prevent and reduce disasters?

Did SSP receive and release higher than CWC figures?

The peak outflow from SSP, if we go by CWC figures, was 18.61 lakh cusecs at 0500 hrs on Sept 17. However, as per SSNNL Flood Memorandum 2023, with water level of 38.9 m, the flow at Garudeshwar would be 60550 cumecs or 21.38 lakh cusecs.

Similarly with actual water level of 12.34 m attained at Golden Bridge in Bharuch, the flow would be 65000 cumecs or 22.95 lakh cusecs, much higher than the water release of 18.61 L cusecs as per CWC hydrograph. Part of the increase could be due to the catchment downstream from SSP, but there could also be some inaccuracy in CWC figures.

Did under construction Bhadbhut barrage worsen the floods in the upstream?

The Bhadbhut barrage on Narmada river in Gujarat is under construction, downstream of Bharuch. About 400 m of rivers from both northern and southern side of the barrage is blocked currently for the project, leaving just about 800 m of gap in between. This obstruction in the path of water is bound to create additional submergence in the upstream, on both sides of the river. It is feared by many in Gujarat that this may have been a factor in further increasing the flood disaster.

Lame Excuse of Gujarat government

The Gujarat government so far has not been able to come out with any explanation for this man-made disaster created by them. The only rather lame excuse that both the Narmada minister and Chief Minister has come out is that there were heavy rains in the catchment, releases from upstream dams and inflow of over 22 lakh cusecs and they actually managed to reduce the outflow to 18.61 lakh cusecs. This does not explain anything and it actually insults the intelligence of the audience. These were facts known in advance, why did they not take action of advance releases? Why they could not forecast inflows? Why they did not operate any of the RBPH units for ten days prior to Sept 16, when they operated them throughout August and up to Sept 5? Why was there no disaster management in place? Why there is no accountability of the man-made disasters created in the past by SSP including in 2020? Why there is no inquiry into past disasters?

Clearly there is a lot that the concerned agencies like SSNNL, Gujarat government , NCA, CWC and Union government , Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh government , among others need to answer to the lakhs of people who have suffered due to this avoidable disaster.

Courtesy: CounterView

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Image Courtesy: counterview.net

The Gujarat government has already acquired 1,100 acres out of 1,700 acres of the tribal land of six villages – Navagam, Limdi, Gora, Vagadia, Kevadia and Mithi – for developing tourism next to the 182-metre high Statue of Unity, the world’s tallest, putting at risk the livelihood option of their 8,000 residents, and is all set to acquire rest of the land, representatives of the villagers have alleged in Ahmedabad.

Talking with mediapersons in the presence of former BJP chief minister Suresh Mehta, a local leader, Lakhan Musafir, who has been involved the tribals downstream of the Narmada dam over the last six years, said, “The government promised to the tribals that they would be involved in the tourism project by encouraging them to open restaurants and become tourist guides, and that tourists could stay at their houses as paying guests.”

Musafir is known to be one of the few local leaders who is put under house arrest and detained whenever a function involving a top dignitary, ranging from Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Gujarat chief minister Vijay Rupani, is held next to the Statue of Unity.

Clearly stating that that they have been “deceived”, as none of this has been realised, a tribal activist, Ramakrishna Tadvi, said, “The tribal farmers were first turned into hawkers, now then they were reduced to jobless workers. The only job they are now randomly offered is to clean up toilets and roads, for which they are offered a mere Rs 170 per day, which is less than the minimum wage.”

Mehta, who led a team of prominent citizens from Ahmedabad which visited the villages next to the Narmada dam before asking them to come to Ahmedabad for addressing the media, said, “Their land has been taken away from them without their consent in violation of the Panchyats Extension to Scheduled Area (PESA) Act, under which the government cannot acquire tribal land without the nod of the gram sabha.”
ayendrasinh Jadeja, another veteran politician who formed part of the team,  alleged, a Rs 200 crore hotel has been leased out for a mere Rs 1 crore, and the profits from the tourism project are “not being shared” with the villagers, whose land has been acquired.

Even as Mehta pointed out that “the land acquisition is also in violation of Section 24 of the the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013”, the villagers present on the occasion showed copies of the gram sabha resolutions rejecting handing over any land.

One of the villagers, Laxmiben Tadvi, said, the state government has “leased out” for lakhs one plot of land belonging to her village for a food parlour and another for parking for the tourists without her consent. “When we go around seeking return of the land for cultivation, the police pounces on us and we are asked to go away”, she said.

Another villager, Govindbhai Tadvi, sarpanch of Vagadia village, said, “The state government organizes big functions next to the Statue of Unity, and all of our land is used for this without our consent. In fact, during functions, we are not even allowed to come out of our residence, fearing we would protest.”

villagers asserted that the land of the Kevadia village, which was taken away by the state government for offices for the Narmada dam in 1960s, is now being “illegally” used for Shreshth Bharat Bhavan and other tourism-related projects. They demanded, as the dam has been completed, the land should be returned to them, and cannot be used for a tourism project.
 
They said, in all, the danger looms large over 72 tribal villages of the Garudeshwar taluka next ot the Narmada dam and the Statue of Unity. Meanwhile, their agriculture, cattle, life and livelihood have been dislocated.

“We have been dispossessed of their jowar and bajra crops. Instead of rotlas, the tourists are being offered pizzas and burgers. Around 300 tribal hawkers and vendors have now been evicted. The government appears to think that our shadow shouldn’t pollute the tourists”, said a villager.
 

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Patkar says, while the Madhya Pradesh government has admitted that the total number of villages that would face submergence is 178, it has refused to provide the number of oustees who would suffer. Also, it has refused to press upon the Gujarat government to reimburse Rs 1,857 crore for rehabilitating the oustees. Several letters on this and related issues have been forwarded to the Centre and Gujarat, but these have not been made public, keeping the oustees in the dark.

Text:

We know that you have been taking a stand against the Gujarat government, which is getting support from the Narmada Control Authority (NCA) to fill up the Sardar Sarovar dam up to the full reservoir level (FRL) of 138.68 metres during this monsoon. There is no doubt that this is necessary, considering the interests of the thousands of oustees in Madhya Pradesh.

However, as I stated in the meeting with the Madhya Pradesh chief secretary on August 24, 2019, we have intensely felt that the letter by the chief secretary to NCA on this issue, dated May 27, 2019, has quoted wrong figures and underestimated the scale of submergence.

The figure of 76 villages and 6,000 families to be affected by submergence at FRL of the Sardar Sarovar dam, i.e., 138.68 metres, is the figure of just one district, Dhar, and this excludes the three other districts, Alirajpur, Badwani and Khargon.

You may now note that the officials who might have briefed you, as well as the chief secretary, the minister concerned and the chief minister, have offered you wrong figures, something you have now accepted. The number of affected villages has been finally put at 178. However, no final figures of the affected families has been announced. Your have, however, admitted that the earlier surveys of many places might have been flawed, and hence are pending review.

May I ask you, the chief secretary, as well as the chief minister, whether you have written a single letter to NCA, as also the secretary, Union water resources ministry, and the Union minister concerned, quoting actual facts that would bring out the formidable scale of impact of submergence, compelling the authorities to review their decision?

If yes, will you kindly forward a copy to me of the any such letter/s, and if not, will you kindly ensure that these letters are sent?
 

 

I am shocked about what you have written a letter recently to NCA regarding water levels. You have questioned the NCA decision to take the water level in the dam to 134.50 metres by August 31. But you have not said anything about what water levels should be maintained during the month of September.

Is this, may I ask, your strongest possible argument in order to protect the interest of the oustees, who are in thousands? Don’t you think that the issue that needs to be raised should be more basic, especially focusing on the unjustifiable decision to raise the water level beyond 122 metres in order to avoid the submergence of property of the Narmada project affected families without full and proper rehabilitation, as it would violate law, policy as well as the fundamental human and Constitutional rights?

As you are aware, the Central ministry and NCA are depending their facts and figures on the basis of false affidavits filed by the former government of Madhya Pradesh showing zero balance in rehabilitation and resettlement (R&R) during 2008-2016, which needed to be strongly challenged and rejected by taking a firm and fact-based position. The new state government and your department, as well as the Narmada minister, should have done this.

There are also many other points that were conveyed to you, the chief minister, and the minister in your presence, which can form a relevant basis for questioning and taking up issue of filling up the dam’s reservoir. For example, the Government of Gujarat has still not provided to you the required reimbursement of Rs 1,857 crore, which is mandatory as per the Narmada Water Disputes Tribunal Award (NWDTA). It is unfortunate that this demand was put up as late as in July 2019.

Worse, this demand, as well as failure to get any response on this and other issues, have not been put  in the public domain, which is surprising in the present situation of the devastating impact on the people, communities, and the natural ecosystem, including livelihood of farmers and other sections in the Sardar Sarovar dam-affected people.

I am writing this letter to you because I think that you should make a final scrutiny of facts and positions being taken up at your end before any briefing takes place at the level of the chief secretary or the chief minister.

I would like you to play a major role in putting together all the relevant and reliable facts that would help in carving out a clear and confident position on the part of the State government against the filling up of the Sardar Sarovar reservoir.

As you know, if this does not happen at a war-footing, nothing less than watery grave awaits the communities living in the upstream of the dam, and the State government will be held responsible for the role it is expected to play and legal mandate it should follow in the interests of the project affected families.

Courtesy: CounterView

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Kamal Nath

NBA note:

Amidst the chaos of illegal submergence in Narmada Valley, the Narmada Bachao Andolan (NBA) has written a letter to the Madhya Pradesh government demanding concrete action for the protection of the rights of the affected people in the state.

It is worth mentioning that while appealing to Medha Patkar and other affected people to end their hunger strike, the state government had accepted that thousands of families are yet to be rehabilitated in the submergence area and that they are against the full filling of the Sardar Sarovar dam.

But recently, the steps taken by additional chief secretary and deputy chairman of the Narmada Valley Development Authority (NVDA) Gopal Reddy and chief minister Kamal Nath in their letters written to the Central government are not in accordance with these assurances. That is why the movement has written a letter to the government, in the name of Gopal Reddy, today.

The state government should stop using false data. The letter states that in the meeting held on August 24, 2019 with the Madhya Pradesh chief secretary, the NBA had emphasized that the present government has also continued to use false figures of the previous government.
It is worth mentioning that in its letter dated May 27, 2019 sent by the government’s own Narmada Control Authority (NCA), only 6,000 families from 76 villages in Dhar district were claimed to be affected. 
 

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Water levels are dangerously rising in the Narmada valley. And a feisty band of protesters stick it out, protesting, in the face of danger of rising waters and disease. Day before yesterday, on Wednesday, August 28, when water levels rose to an unprecedented 134 metres, the most appalling was the reaction of the prime minister, who called this alarming development as “historic”. Modi issued an invitation to people to visit the statue of unity. The dam authorities have said that this was the highest water level after the height of the dam was raised to 138 metres in 2017.

“The government has brought in beggars to some sites and claims that people have been resettled, while people are forced to stay in small islands as water fills up. Since the water is stagnant, it has become dirty. If one stays for some time in the water, it starts to itch. There is no groundwater and people are using this dirty water even to drink. There is no electricity and one has to travel by boats if one can get hold of one,” NAPM activist Bilal Khan told SabrangIndia.

Leading activist, Medha Patkar and ten other affected persons are sitting on an indefinite strike supported by thousands of villagers and have appealed for global solidarity.

Anticipating submergence of as many as two lakh people, the thirty year old resistance movement in the region, Narmada Bachao Andolan (NBA) has started a “Global Solidarity Petition to Narmada” and its longest veteran leader and former member of the World Commission on Dams, Medha Patkar along with women leaders from the region have entered the sixth day of their indefinite hunger strike. They have called upon the government of India and Gujarat to “immediately halt this colossal calamity of wiping away two lakh people, as if they were ‘dispensable insects’”.

Rohit Singh, an activist from the region said, “Medha Tai’s heath is deteriorating but she won’t break her strike. Waters have already impacted villages. 400 villages in Nisarpur, 50 villages in Chikalda and 100 villages in Rajghat have already submerged in water. As many as 60 -70 villages have been impacted. If the water level rises to 138 metres all the villages will get submerged.” Rohit also added that the livelihood of the people in the region has been completely disrupted and small shops have closed.

As many as 192 villages in Madhya Pradesh, 33 in Maharashtra and 19 in Gujarat fall under the submergence zone.

This year, the Narmada Control Authority decided to fill its reservoir to its full capacity reportedly to “test the water pressure on the dam.” As per its predictions, the water level was supposed to reach 134 metres by August 3, and 138.6 metres by October 8. However, the water has already reached the 134 metres mark.

Earlier, activists from the long standing Narmada movement had predicted that if the water level keeps increasing at this alarming speed, as many as 32,000 families stand at the risk of facing a “water calamity”.

How did we reach here?
Reportedly, the managing director of the Sardar Sarovar Narmada Nigam Limited (SSNNL), Rajiv Gupta said earlier that it was “essential to test the dam at Full Reservoir Level (FRL)” as this had not been done since the gates were installed in 2017.” He had also said that the state government will adhere to the norms laid down in the dam safety manual while filling the dam to FRL in the next 50 days.” Notably, in his own words dam hasn’t been “tested at FRL because of deficient rainfall in earlier years.” However, past experience suggests that authorities are usually ill prepared to handle any disasters which may come in the way, especially a flood like situation.

Moreover, activists have also alleged that any reports that people have been evacuated or sent to safe places, are “complete and utter lies.” They have said that since the time strike started, no government officials have come and met the people at the dam site and that there has been a complete apathy and callous indifference from the government’s side.

Past experiences with dams and floods
An analytical report published by the environmental magazine Down To Earth in 2015 had pointed out that one problem faced by dam operators is that “filling the reservoir early in the monsoon may result in excess discharge and floods later on”. In 2015, in the case of Hirakud dam on the river Mahanadi, a large quantum release from its reservoir displaced as many as two million people in 20 of state’s 30 districts.

The report had also highlighted activists’ concerns that the operators sitting in hot spot are often slow in reacting to information on inflow of water and rainfall in the catchment. It also noted the “typical” response by authorities, “there was a sudden influx of water due to incessant rains in the catchment; there is no way to avert these disasters”.

A disregard for foretold destruction
Despite all past experiences and a strong demand from the people to keep the water level at 122 metres, the authorities, with the support of the Central government, have gone ahead and are letting the water level rise at a speed that is certain to impact the lakhs of people settled here along with their cattle and livelihood.

The dam impacts three states namely Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra. Activists allege that because of the apathy of Gujarat government, even the MP and Maharashtra governments are not doing anything. Recently, the Chief of Secretary of Madhya Pradesh had written to the Narmada Control Authority (NCA), in which they predicted that a total of 6,000 families from 76 villages are residing in the submergence area. Up to 8,500 applications, of which up to 2,952 are for farmlands and other entitlements for compensation of Rs. 60 lakhs, as directed by the Apex Court are still pending, as per the letter.

However, the NBA estimates that there are as many as 32,000 families or even more which are awaiting entitlements including alternative land/ compensation for land acquired from Adivasis and farmers, house plots, a range of amenities at the resettlement sites, rehabilitation grants and livelihoods especially for the multitudes of Dalits and landless workers, fisher people, potters, boats people, small traders and artisans.

The people’s movement also alleges that a massive scam of more than Rs. 1000 crores in the rehabilitation process is “being ignored to shield the mighty and powerful while the people on the ground bear the brunt of it!”A high level judicial commission had indicted the government for grave violations earlier.

“It is indeed a cruel and unjustifiable irony that despite a robust legal framework that exists with the Narmada Water Dispute Tribunal Award, 1979 and the multiple judgements of the Supreme Court, especially that of 2000 & 2005 to ensure complete rehabilitation of the residents of the submergence area before impoundment of reservoir, even the minimal rehabilitation that has happened so far has been only after protracted and relentless struggle”, the activists lament.

The MP government wrote to the Centre to reconsider the decision of filling up the dam to its full capacity. However, the activists allege, the Union Government, prompted by Gujarat appears to be unrelenting and keen on permanently inundating the valley within a few weeks.

The land that stands the risk of submergence is located within the fifth schedule area, and is constitutionally protected and the President of India is under a mandate to safeguard it.

Meanwhile, the PM has termed the news as “thrilling” and said, “Sharing some breathtaking view, with the hope that you will go visit the iconic place and see the ‘Statue of Unity’”.

The global solidarity petition can be signed here:

Key demands in the petition are:
a) Direct the Narmada Control Authority to maintain the water level in the SSP reservoir at 122 metres.
b) Halt the hasty decision to close the dam gates until complete, lawful and fair rehabilitation of all the 32,000 families is ensured.
c) Provide interim relief to the thousands of families already affected by the inundation.
d) Constitute an independent high-powered committee to assess the scale and status of compliance on rehabilitation and environmental measures, before proceeding further with the dam work, in terms of the judgement of the Apex Court of Oct, 2000.

Related Articles:

1. Gujarat pushing towards flooding: Sardar Sarovar Dam levels rise
2. Gujarat government opens 25 gates of Sardar Sarovar Dam, Victory for 34 year old Struggle
3. Mass Protests at Narmada valley commemorate a Historic Struggle

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Detailed updates from ground level activists of the Narmada Bachao Andolan (NBA) reveal that the water levels in Sardar Sarovar dam is rising fast owing to the Gujarat government’s decision to fill the reservoir to 138.68 meter over the course of the next 50 days, to the full reservoir level (FRL) of the reservoir. Media reports statethat the government will “regulate” the flows in “such a manner that the water level will rise by 0.30 m every 48 hours.

This year, the situation on the ground, is increasingly reaching an alarming level. On August 12, activists have reported that two people died because of electric shock from the water. They predict large scale destruction over the next few days. Activists with the NBA have demanded that water level rise should be stopped at 122 meters; also that court orders related to the protection and rehabilitation of people living in downstream and upstream (dam) areas should be followed. Today, women and men activists, under the banner of “JeevanRekhaAndolan” have blocked the Agra-Delhi Highway demanding that the government restricts the water levels to 122 meters. There are reports emerging of considerable violence unleashed on the protesters as we go to press.

In a detailed press note issued on Monday, NBA activists have predicted that if the water level keeps increasing at this alarming speed, as many as 32,000 families stand at the risk of facing a “water calamity”.The water level touched an unprecedented limit at 131.50 m on Friday. After this, the government released six lakh cusecs of water into the downstream and the Narmada main canal. Ten gates were opened on Friday, first time ever since independence.
 
The managing director Rajiv Gupta of the Sardar Sarovar Narmada Nigam Limited (SSNNL) reportedlysaidthat it was “essential to test the dam at full reservoir level” as this had not been done since the gates were installed in 2017.” He added,  “The state government will adhere to the norms laid down in the dam safety manual while filling the dam to FRL in the next 50 days.” Notably, in his own words dam hasn’t been “tested at FRL because of deficient rainfall in earlier years.”However, past experience suggests that authorities are usually ill prepared to handle any disasters which may come in the way, especially a flood like situation.

Chief minister Vijay Rupani even performed a “puja” at the dam site on Friday, August 000 to ‘mark’ the 131.50 m ‘milestone’. According to a Times of India report, in Surat at least 2300 families were shifted to safer locations from different areas located on the Narmada River in Bharuch district on Friday
A press release issued by Narmada Bachao Andolan (NBA) on August 12 highlights the gravity of the situation. Activists have claimed that Narmada is flowing at a level of 9 meters above the danger level. And that it has reached the villages which have been impacted by the Sardar Sarovar dam.In the Manavar tehsil, more than 4000 families are settled in 17 villages and haven’t been rehabilitated properly, they claim. In villages such as Kavathi, Uradana, Ekalbara, Gangli etc., the path leading to the farmland has been blocked as water has entered the fields. Activists have claimed that this is a “flood like situation”.
Many of these villages, according to the chief minister’s own reported statements are yet to be compensated upto an amount of Rs. 5,80,000 as per the directives of a Supreme Court order of February 8, 2017.Moreover, the places which were allotted as compensation and rehabilitation remain deprived off basic amenities such as water, electricity, road connectivity etc.

As the tributaries of river Narmada are also filled upto the brim, the situation is quickly escalating at an alarming rate. The NBA has also observed, “If the water level goes beyond 138 meters, then many thousands of families will get submerged without rehabilitation of a house or land.” “In such a situation, where will people go?” it asked.

Further, the press release said,the route to the hamlets located in lower regions of village Ekkalbara are filled with waters from the backwater. The villagers are completely blocked from all sides, and because of this, even for their basic needs, the villagers have to risk their lives in order to get the basic ration etc. One villager named Galsing who went to purchase ration escaped death by a margin. Despite this serious situation, as per the NBA activists, nobody has come to survey or study the area. The village’s approximately 80 percent or 3000 acre land is completely surrounded by water from all sides.

The fields in villages Kavathi and Gangli have been submerged because of Narmada water. Kavathi too, has been turned into an island. A Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) report had highlighted how there were discrepancies in execution of works like granting of tenders and unjustified, higher payments that caused financial losses to the government.

Another very important fact is that most river dams, which may flood if they fail, were not prepared for disaster management. The same CAG report revealed that only 349 dams out of 4862 completed dams in the country have emergency disaster management plans.

To ensure the proper inspection, maintenance and surveillance of existing dams, the Dam Safety Legislation was initiated in 2010. The policy remains on paper, yet to be given the shape of law and enacted, even in August 2016, the CAG report had stated. In most states, pre and post monsoon inspections weren’t carried out. Programmes for maintenance of dams were not prepared and adequate funds were not provided to carry out structural/repair works.

An analytical report published in 2015 had pointed out that one problem faced “by dam operators is that filling the reservoir early in the monsoon may result in excess discharge and floods later on”. In 2015, in the case of Hirakud dam on the river Mahanadi, a large quantum release from its reservoir displaced as many as two million people in 20 of state’s 30 districts. The India Meteorological Department’s (IMD) analysis of the data of the past 100 years says there is no deviation, suggesting a significant change in rainfall patterns. Ajit Tyagi, director general of IMD, however, noted, “But yes, excessive variability and localised events towards end-August and September are forcing release of huge quantum of water from dam reservoirs”.

A DownToEarth report hashighlighted activists’ concerns that the operators sitting in hot spot are often slow in reacting to information on inflow of water and rainfall in the catchment. It also noted the “typical” response by authorities, “there was a sudden influx of water due to incessant rains in the catchment; there is no way to avert these disasters”

There is also much debate around the entrenched belief that building dams actually help in preventing floods. As per Shripad Dharamdhikari, founder of Manthan Adhyayan Kendra, a non-profit that researches water issues, one problem with dams “is that they attenuate lower magnitude floodwater, thereby creating a sense of security. So when the peak floods come, the damage is far greater than otherwise”.

Experts have also predicted that as climate change occurs, flood situations are likely to worsen due to poor management of dams.

A committee constituted by the Ministry of Irrigation in the 1980s to review the existing practices of maintenance of dams in various states and to evolve standard guidelines for the same, said in a report published in 1982, “it is essential to release water as soon as flood-like situations develop.” The report admits that “the existence of a dam upstream of the floodplain may either mitigate the extent of the calamity or accentuate it.” It is essential, therefore, to develop operating rules with built-in factor of safety and adequate and efficient warning system to formulate accurate forecasts on the time lag when rain in the catchment results in increased inflow to the reservoir.”

In 2015, 96 dams in Gujarat were puton high alert following heavy rainfall on the evening of September 11, many of them were full to their capacities, including the Sardar Sarovar Narmada Dam in Kevadia.
 

The post Gujarat pushing towards flooding: Sardar Sarovar Dam levels rise appeared first on SabrangIndia.

On July 31, thousands of people- farmers, labourers, women, gathered together at Badwani, near the river Narmada to strengthen their resolve to carry on their struggle and prevent the destruction of their natural resources. The Narmada Bachao Andolan (NBA) held a large gathering at Badwani (Madhya Pradesh) to mark the failure of the state to adequately rehabilitate 30,000 families even 34 yearsafter the construction of Narmada dam began. Worse, thousands of houses, shops, temples and mosques in the Narmada valley still face the danger of being submerged.

In what has become an annual event, several social organizations, researchers, artists, journalists, representatives of the displaced people and activists participated in the gathering on July 31 to “resolve to continue fighting for people’s rights”. Through a statement, issued on the occasion, the NBA said, “Villages cannot be vacated by force. Without rehabilitation, forcible displacement would be against law as also against various decisions of courts and constitutional values.” 

Submerging 192 villages and one township before the fair and just rehabilitation would be “unjust”, the NBA said, adding that the state of Madhya Pradesh was lawfully bound to provide forest dwellers with land entitlements in accordance with the Forest Rights Act, 2006 while farmers’ land could only be acquired by applying the land acquisition Act, 2013.

The gathering of a few thousand was led by women. This protest assembly resolved that though there are as many as 32000 families in the area that face submergence due to the 139 metre level water in Sardar Sarovar, they would struggle and protest to ensure that neither nature nor their culture would be destroyed. Not only is the state of Madhya Pradesh shirking from its legal commitments, but neighbouring Gujarat is not even supplying electricity to the area.

The statement also noted, “Those displaced because of Bargi, Maheshwar, Jobat dams, have still not been rehabilitated and their livelihoods not been restored.” Other activists highlighted that false promises of the government have been exposed.

Gujarat’s former environment minister Praveen Singh Jadeja apologised to the people on behalf of the state of Gujarat and said that those of us [in the government], who have been asking for water in the name of Gujarat’s Kachchh and Saurahstra and supported Sardar Sarovar dam have been proved wrong. Issues and concerns raised by the Narmada Bachao Andolan have proved to be true. He added, “Gujarat and Central governments are neither in the favour of those displaced nor the farmers.”

The impact of the widespread struggle had compelled even an an institution like the World Bank had to bow down to the people. World Bank has reportedly said that if it gives its money to any company, then it will have to go by the law prevailing in the country. After the victory of the Narmada struggle in 1993, this was another big achievement of the struggle.

Participants also highlighted the fact that even a country like America had to break down more than 1000 dams and open up rivers when faced with mass protests. The struggle at the site of the Narmada river has drawn support from likeminded struggles in Brazil. It has been decades of a hard won respect that has been accompanied by making a dent in the discourse around big dams.

The post Mass Protests at Narmada valley commemorate a Historic Struggle appeared first on SabrangIndia.

Courtesy: PIB

These tactics of encashing credit by projecting radial gates issue as a basis of grand celebration have failed for the following reasons.

The entire responsibility for the Narmada Project lies with the state government then headed by Narendra Modi when he took the reins of power. Until then, the execution of Narmada Project was subject to the consent and permissions of other states and authorities. Since the main canal reaches across Rajasthan stretching at a distance of 485 km, the state government has complete responsibility for implementation and execution of the project. Yet the government is defensive.

The report presented of the Comptroller and Auditor General (C.A.G) after inspecting the status of the project as on June 2009 is damning. Audit Reports for the period from the years 2004 to 2009 bring to light aspects of poor planning of the canal network, both at the start and its implementation. In the original scheme, provision was made for allocation of water for irrigation purposes only. Later on, provisions were made to allocate water for drinking and or industrial use. These were afterthoughts. The state government while espousing the use of Narmada waters for drinking purposes, actually diverted lakhs of liters of water to industry. In this way, the government has betrayed the trust of 50 lakh farmers and 58 lakh farm labourers of Gujarat. Instead of laying down canals that would have provided the much needed water for this section, funds have been diverted to laying expensive pipelines to service industry.

The deputy chief minister’s announcement claiming that by laying down a 18,500 km long pipeline, there would be an increase in command irrigation area of a staggering 7.5 lakh hectares is a blatant falsehood. Contrarily, the Report of the Narmada Department of the state government itself states that during the year 2011-12 irrigation cover was extended to merely 1,93,684 hectare area due to the Sardar Sarovar Project which has increased to 2,09,057 hectares in the year 2012-13. Thereafter there has not been any increase in the irrigation area, according to the report of the Narmada Department itself. Then how can the government claim that it has provided irrigation to an area of 7.5 lakh hectares?

The Report of the C.A.G. (31-03-2009) states that even though investment of Rs. 18,515 crores has been made in the canal network no repairs or maintenance has been taken up. Despite such criticism, the government has not mended its ways, which is evident from frequent breaches or land-slides in the canals of Narmada. This Report brings out that during the implementation stage of the Project, the SSNL has failed in adopting or resorting to vertical integration approach and by not giving priority to extension network the fund has been instead diverted to other parts of the Sardar Sarovar Project and has in fact been wasted through spending that has not improved efficacy or productivity.

Despite these admonitions from CAG, the state government has not mended its ways and has in fact reduced the length of the canal. If the length of the canal is reduced, how can the irrigation area increase?
 
Poor Development, Bad Governance

Irrigation Area Falls Short by One-Tenth

1. Under the Narmada Project, it was originally planned (or projected) that irrigation to as much as 17,92,000 hectares of land in Gujarat would be provided. However, the annual 2011-2012 report of Narmada department of the state government records that irrigation benefits were extended to only 1,93,683 hectares of land under this project. The area under irrigation increased to 2,09,057 hectares in the year 2012-13. However, during the year 2012-14 area under irrigation did not increase even slightly but had remained as it was before. During the subsequent year, i.e. 2014-15 also there was no increase at all. Thus, by the government’s own figures, only 11.67 % of the irrigation potential under the Narmada Project was achieved.
2. The Gujarat government’s fixed the target for irrigation under this project is also quite meager. In the Development Description: 2017-18, Budget Publication 35, the Govt. states that during the period 2017-18 and 2018-19 the irrigation potential will increase to a total of 3,30,160 hectares. Thus, within two years, the government will increase irrigation capacity only by 1,21,103 hectares. In this way, even at the end of 2018-19 on the final completion of the Narmada Project, irrigation will be provided to only 18.42 % of the projected area. This means that no attention has been really paid to this aspect of the project while state government spending on the project has been crores of rupees!

 
Construction of canal of 42,000 km length out of 90,000 km is still pending

1. The reason behind no rise in the area under irrigation is that construction work of the canal has not proceeded at the pace at which it was anticipated. In accordance with original documents and planning, the total canal length of Narmada Project was proposed at 90,389 km which comprised of 458 km of the long Main Canal and 89,931 km length of other canals(CAG report)
2. According to one reply given in the Assembly House, the State Govt. further reduced the projected canal length up to 85,898 km. Again a reduction in projected length of the canal was made as stated in the Progress Report of the government on Narmada Project, and the length of the canal has been further reduced to 71,748 Km. Thus, the Gujarat Govt. has reduced the canal length by more than 18,000 Km. The result is that both less length of canals and therefore a lesser irrigated area will be finally provided to people of Gujarat.
3. While on the one hand reducing the projected canal area, the government has not even kept up its commitment of the reduced canal outlay over the past 15 years. The reduced projection was 71,748 Km. of canal, but, as the Progress Report of the govt. of Gujarat for June 2017 shows, work of laying canals for 22,677 Km. still remains pending! Thus, no execution of 4318 Km. length of canal has at all been made.
4. The Govt. itself, in its socio-economic review of the year 2016-17 (Page No. 19), states that it has completed the work of all the tributary canals to the extent of 87 % and that of minor canals to the tune of 74 %. Thus, the Govt. itself admits that construction work of the canals has not been completed as yet. Govt. has also stated that it plans to lay 3856 Km. long canals in the year 2017-18. It means that during the year 2017-18 construction work of canals of the Narmada Project is not going to be completed. If the Gujarat Govt. works at this pace also then for construction of all the canals, it may take time of 10 years and 9 months. Presently, the Gujarat Govt. is spending Rs. 9000 crores per annum and if expenditure is incurred at that rate then in coming 11 years the budget amount would reach to Rs. 11,000/- crores. The experts maintain that until the height of Sardar Sarovar Dam is increased then construction work of canal could have been continued but the Govt. did not do so. Looking at this way, is not the Gujarat Govt. criminal as regards execution of Narmda Project? Does not it appear that the Gujarat Govt. has committed a major cheating with six crore people of Gujarat?
5. Yet another proof is also available on how much does the Govt. lie. In the Development Description, 2017-18, Budget Publication No. 35, it has been stated that the work of canal network shall be completed in the year 2017-18. The Govt. has not given any Action Plan as to how it will complete the work which it had not been able to execute during last 15 years. This is a fitting example of stark tall talk, which the Govt. has been boasting of by spending crores of rupees.
6. Non-completion of Narmada Canal is a major offence or lapse on the part of the Gujarat Govt. Not only that, at the same time, wherever the canals have been laid, many of them have been built with highly sub-standard quality material and workmanship in it, breaches or land-slides have occurred at many places and many of them have not been repaired as yet. This expenditure shall ultimately be met with by imposing taxes on six crore No. of citizens.
7. In the Development Description : 2017-18, Budget Publication – 35, the Govt. has also stated that it will make alterations in the canal works executed earlier before 15 years, so as to restore it in fit and proper condition for irrigation purpose. However, proof as to how the sub-standard quality work has been executed, has already become available. In recent times flood calamities were owing to major breaches in canals, and that has been easily and evidently concluded. Expenditure towards repairs to the canals works out to crores of rupees and ultimately its burden lies on the six crore citizens of Gujarat. 

 
Heavy increase in Expenditure but negligible Outcome :- 

1. As per original plans, total expenditure for Narmada Project was estimated at Rs. 6,000 crores, but by October 2016 it had reached to Rs. 56,286 crores. However, Mumbai based Tata Institute of Social Sciences had in the year 2012 put an estimate that expenditure of Narmada Project could be to the tune of Rs. 72,000 crores. Now the question arises as to when the canal work has been executed in its entirety and considerable delay has taken place then how the expenditure had risen to so much? This means that the Gujarat Govt. has been criminally negligent in the matter of Narmada Project.
2. The Gujarat State has planned to spend Rs. 9000 crores in the year 2015-16, Rs. 9050 crore in the year 2015-17 and about Rs. 9,000 crore in the year 2017-18. Thus, although an amount of Rs. 18,500 crores was spent within two years of 2015-17, all the canals could not be fully constructed. This is called Development!

As per the Independent Auditor’s Report there are series of scams in the Narmada Project.

In the Annual Report of SSNNL (Sardar Sarovar Narmada Nigam Ltd.) for the year 2015-16, a report of the Independent Auditor, Ghiya & Co. is given which shows that there are a lot of scams in the accounts of the Corporation. In majority of the cases it states that accounting standards are not followed. Corporation’s total expenditure this year was Rs. 5027 crore and the loss of the Corporation was Rs. 528 crores. One can easily imagine that scams in the accounts amount to the tune of crores of rupees. It is also surprising that the auditor has not pointed out details as to what is the quantum of scams and in which particular account heads. However, from whatever is mentioned in the Annexure No. 3 on the page No. 41 of the Report, one can easily conclude that SSNL is functioning with the grace and in the faith of God. The Independent Auditor’s Report also states that internal control system of the Corporation does not function effectively as regards the water charges to be recovered by the Corporation, details of lands, assets, liabilities, balances, deposits, interest, commission, maintenance etc. Then in which respect the Corporation is doing well? Can this be called Good Governance when accounts of crores of rupees are not at all reconciled?

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“We have witnessed about this giant, controversial dam during last 32 years and once again will experience on this special occasion which needs to be dissected and exposed; since the plan of ‘Dedicating the Dam to the Nation’, all the people across the country must know the truth through the response from the people of Narmada Valley that follows-

Serious Questions about Official ‘Misinfromation’
First and the foremost, how has Rupani calculated a period of 56 years since the laying of the foundation stone for today’s Sardar Sarovar Dam? The foundation stone laid by Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru was not for the Dam of today, it was for a much smaller dam of 162 feet height.

The present dam, a result of the Narmada Water Dispute Tribunal Award (NWDTA) is 455 feet i.e. 138.68 meters high, declared by the Tribunal after 10 years long enquiry into the serious conflict among 3 riparian states, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Gujarat. It was all party (then Jan Sangh and Congress) opposition in Madhya Pradesh that had questioned and challenged through even violent resistance, that got settled as NWDTA is considered to be a decree, i.e. law. 

However, the Dam is still not the country’s highest dam or a world’s second biggest dam, claims made only on the basis of the volume of concrete going into the Dam. It is one of the biggest, no doubt and the decision on the same came in December 1979, the date of the Declaration of the Award (NWDTA), not in 1961.

Even after the Award the work on the same was soon stopped and the clearance to it, following River valley guidelines of 1993 and Environmental Protection Act, 1986, came only in June 1987. The said clearance too was conditional since studies and plans on not less than 8 critical aspects of the project were not conducted nor completed till then. Those included rehabilitation, Flora and Fauna, seismic risks, catchment area treatment, command area development, downstream impacts.

Mr. Rupani obviously hasn’t looked into either data or documents related to each of these, concerning all 3 states with the non-riparian state of Rajasthan and the union of India as monitoring government with certain powers when he refers to the benefits of the Dam, he makes a serious mistake in saying that Maharashtra is to get 56% and Madhya Pradesh, 27% of the electricity to be generated, which is exactly the opposite, indicating the CM’s ignorance.

 There is no mention of the firm confirmed power to be generated and only mentioning the capacity, obviously since the benefit shares are only out of whatever is actually generated and not the planned capacity.
There is no share in water benefit to either Maharashtra or Madhya Pradesh, who are to pay the biggest cost in losing best of land, fresh and most tragically, affecting lakhs of people in 244 villages and 1 township. This is what is not noted in the CM’s statement, as is always forgotten by Gujarat and forgiven by his counter parts in other 2 states.

The scale of irrigation and drinking water supply in Gujarat and Rajasthan is certainly exaggerated, as can be proved, says the statement.

Official statistics on irrigation reveal and show a big failure till date, not because of the stoppage of the Dam work for genuine social, environmental reasons, but mismanagement and manipulations to favour industries at the cost of farmers and drought affected in Gujarat. Even when waters were impounded up to 121.92 meters, Gujarat didn’t take it into the canal network which was left incomplete and has more than 50% balance even today. Whatever it did, was lost to sea via Sabarmati giving light and sound show due to no way to take to fields without canals, nor to be stored!

 This irrigation scandal is fully exposed through a detailed statement by none else but the former chief minister of Gujarat Suresh Mehta. It is less than 3 lakh hectares when at least 8 to 10 lakh was expected at 121.92 meters dam height just because it has no priority for the commercial state!

How many villages in Gujarat is the dam going to supply drinking water? The number changes from para to para in this single statement, from 9000-9663! Remembering the past, let people of Gujarat and Bharat know that the figure has changed from 4200+ to 8000+ and now to 9000+, always including more than 240 barren villages with no habitation to drink the water, even if supplied!

Which are the 131 urban centres to get this benefit, we must know along with how much of their thirst saturated till date? If it was only 0.86 million cubic feet for drinking water, it means out of 1.6 MAF, the share for municipal and industrial water, let there be the latest allocation details coming in from the official sources! People of Gujarat are in the dark about the agreements made with Coca Cola, car industries (to include new Suzuki plant, thanks to the visit by Japanese Premier), Adani’s and Ambani’s projects and all the industrial estates to come up in Gujarat as a part of the Delhi Mumbai Industrial Corridor full of investment regions covering 60% of Gujarat with Huge costs to farmers! Who will exhibit the real costs and real benefits & when?

Moreover, it’s an absolutely false contention that Maharashtra is also to be get 37500 hectares of irrigation from Sardar Sarovar Dam. This is the benefit Maharashtra may get out of its own rainfall & water flows in its Narmada catchment, not from the Sardar Sarovar Reservoir. Maharashtra has no benefit of water from the dam after losing 33 adivasi communities.

The biggest lie and unscientific claims is to say that 18 lakh hectares of land in Gujarat will be irrigated, with the inauguration of the project, as Narmada water will flow to over 9000 villages of Gujarat through a canal network. Does the network to that extent, exist today when at least 41000 kms long network to take water to village and fields doesn’t  exist. Thanks to Modi Government in Gujarat that totally ignored this aspect, while merely blaming the opposition, inside and outside the electoral politics for stalling the Dam project.

It’s revealing that even on the eve of the irrigation, neither the CM nor the PM have shown any sensitivity to the huge number of the adivasis, farmers fishworkers and labour who are compelled to sacrifice for the project. They may not have nor the realistic information to be shared with the Nation.

There are about 40000 families still in the submergence area, beyond the game of numbers played by the governments of Madhya Pradesh at times to extent, Maharashtra and the union authorities.

Not just the serious lapses but large-scale corruption and violation of the laws, policies and court judgments up to the apex court, especially in Madhya Pradesh have been totally ignored by even Modi Ji since it’s not congress but his own party – BJP – government in power in Madhya Pradesh. If it was the other, he would not have left any stone unturned, in exposing them. Will he take pains to read Justice Jha Commission report and not bluff but act against the corrupt officials and agents in action even today?

And what about the ex-prime minister’s taking a position against pushing the construction of the Dam without rehabilitation of thousands of families, mandatory under law. Mr. Manmohan Singh had given a written commitment to the Supreme Court on this, on April 17, 2006. Mr. Rupani was not in the picture then, rather if I remember correctly, he was claiming that Gujarat can use its total water share through a pipeline project, without destruction of land, if NRIs support it financially.

Was the stand taken by UPA government, which too had faced our 21 days of fast and 51 hours five star fast by the Prime Minister, anyway illegal or unjust. Mr. Rupani, it’s shameful and not a matter of pride that Mr. Modi took a decision to push the Dam height to 138.68 meters beyond 121.92 meters where it was stayed, within 17 days after coming into Government? 

 He didn’t just ignore his ministers like as Uma Bharti and Mr. Gehlot, both from Madhya Pradesh but also the shockingly dense populations with thousands of houses, prime agriculture and horticulture, a few thousand temples and tens of mosques, a million (at least) trees and the total infrastructure, ages and generations old that is to be submerged or affected at the full height that he is to boast of!

The absolute callousness shown to even the tribal oustees of Gujarat on the path of agitation even today is equally exhibitory of the experience of ours over 32 years. The violation of the supreme court judgement’s on Rehabilitation as well as environmental measures, destruction of ecosystem and natural resources, the loss of human history with pre-history archeological remnants not removed and stored, total neglect of compensatory and preventive environmental works all is to be the result of Modi’s inauguration and celebration which will not be before the Nation, until it all occurs.

The huge cost of Rs 99000 crores for the single project which was never honestly estimated will be a huge burden on the state of Gujarat and the countries exchequer, to be borne mainly for the industries, the capitalists pursuing it at all cost.

The Programme on the September 17, the birthday of PM is seen as the deadline or deathline for thousands and thousands fighting for justice with those sensitive and cautious of false propaganda and farce, beware of flawed developmental claims and model, demand an open public debate.

Or as Amit Shah (rather crudely )said “Gujarat ka Sher kisi sawal ka jawab nahi dega!”.   

Disclaimer: This is a statement issued by the National Alliance of People’s Movements and do not necessarily express the views of Sabrangindia
 
Related Articles:
 

1. URGENT APPEAL: Is the GOI Drowning the Narmada Valley to celebrate Modi’s Birthday?
2. Modi Birthday Celebrations at the Cost of Oustees of Narmada Dam?

The post Whither Truth? Demand Narmada Evacuees, Challenging the CM, Gujarat & PM Modi appeared first on SabrangIndia.

 
The Narmada Bachao Andolan reports that the lives of more than 40,000 families are in danger as the obdurate stand of the governments of India and Madhya Pradesh have, without providing rehabilitation as per court directives allowed the Water Level to rise to 128.50 meters, Water enters into Rajghat, Nisarpur and other villages.
 
Protesting Villagers –NBA says –are determined, and will not vacate house, ready to get drowned. People of Narmada Valley have challenged the MP Government accusing it of being ‘Dead for the Narmada Valley.’ The  Water released from unfilled reservoirs to fill the Sardar Sarovar, murder for celebrating Narmada Mahotsav and dedicating the Dam on Modi’s birthday is shameful tactics amidst upcoming polls in Gujarat.
 
Badwani, Madhya Pradesh | September 15, 2017: In an unprecedented turn of events, Madhya Pradesh Government coercive measures resulting drowning of more than 40000 families living in the submergence area of Sardar Sarovar Dam. Since yesterday, water level is continuously rising and now reached to 128.50 meters drowning Rajghat, Nisarpur and other villages. Water level is continuously rising after release of large amount of water from unfilled dams just to celebrate the Narmada Mahotsav on Modi’s birthday. This is nothing but a shameless show of personal obsession by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and disastrous submission by Shivraj Singh Chouhan to the dirty politics supported by Gujarat and Maharashtra Government. Water being released from other dams to fill the Sardar Sarovar, resulting drowning of thousands of families, Houses, bridges, Cattles, trees and large tracts of forest and prime agricultural land.
 
A large number of affected families haven’t received the house plots and compensation entitled to them, thousands of applications remain unheard before the Grievance Redressal Authority (GRA), leaving no options to the families but to protest on streets. 
 
In Gujarat, the work on the Narmada Canals is also not complete and only able to construct nearly 30% of the total length of Canal network, which exposes the claims of Government to bring water to Kutch and other districts of Gujarat. This is nothing but a politics of giving false hope to people of Gujarat to win elections at the cost of life of lakhs of people of Narmada Valley. 
 
This cannot be more shameless act by the elected Government of any democratic country. 
 
 
Appeal to be sent to:
President of India
Shri Ramnath Kovind – presidentofindia@rb.nic.in – +91 11 23015321 ( Off.), +91 11 23017290, 23017824 (Fax)
Tweet @rashtrapatibhvn

Secretary to President
Sanjay Kothari – secy.president@rb.nic.in – +91 11 23013324, +91 11 23014930

Write to Prime Minister of India
click on the link and register your grievance http://pgportal.gov.in/pmocitizen/Grievancepmo.aspx 
Tweet @narendramodi
Tweet @PMOIndia

Principal Secretary to Prime Minister 
Sh. Nripendra Misra – 011 – 23013040

Addl. Principal Secretary to Prime Minister
Dr. P. K. Mishra – 011 – 23014844

Ministry of Water Resources
Shri Nitni Gadkari – minister-mowr@nic.in, egov-mowr@nic.in, email@nitingadkari.org – +91 11 23714200,23714663 ( Off.)
+91 11 23710804 (Fax)
Twitter @nitin_gadkari

Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change
Minister of State (Independent Charge) Shri Dr. Harsh Vardhan – drhrshvardhan@gmail.com, +91 11 24695136, 24695132 (Off.), +91 11 24695329 (Fax)
Tweet @drharshvardhan
 
Hardik Shah, PS to Minister – ps2mefcc@gov.in

Ministry of Law and Justice
Minister Shri Ravi Shankar Prasad – ravis@sansad.nic.in, +91 11 23387557, 23386615 (Off.), +91 11 23384241 (Fax)
Tweet @rsprasad

Ministry of Rural Development
Minister Shri Narendra Singh Tomar – ns.tomar@sansad.nic.in, +91 11 23782373, 23782327 (Off.), +91 11 23385876 (Fax)
Tweet @nstomar

Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment
Minister Shri Thaawar Chand Gehlot – tc.gehlot@sansad.nic.in, +91 11 23381001, 23381390 (Off.), +91 11 23381902 (Fax) 
Minister of State Shri Krishan Pal – +91 11 23072192, 23072193 (Off.), +91 11 23072194 (Fax)
Minister of State Shri Ramdas Bandu Athawale – mos3-msje@gov.in, +91 11 23381656, 23381657 (Off.), +91 11 23381669 (Fax)

Ministry of Tribal Affairs
Minister Shri Jual Oram – letters@jualoram.com, +91 11 23388482, 23381499 (Off.), +91 11 23070577 (Fax)
Tweet @jualoram

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister
Shivraj Singh Chauhan – cm@mp.nic.in – Office Phone : +91 755 2441581, +91 755 2441033, Office Fax : +91 755 2441781, 
Tweet @ChouhanShivraj

Gujarat Chief Minister
Shri Vijaybhai R. Rupani – Office Phone : +91 79 23232611
+91 79 23232619, Office Fax : +91 79 23222101
Tweet @vijayrupanibjp

Maharashtra Chief Minister
Shri Devendra Fadnavis – cm@maharashtra.gov.in – Office Phone : +91 22 22025222, +91 22 22025151, Office Fax : +91 22 22029214, 
Tweet @Dev_Fadnavis
 
​National Human Rights Council of India
Send Complaints to National Human Rights Council of India​ at cr.nhrc@nic.in 
Secretary General / Chief Executive Officer of the Commission – sgnhrc@nic.in
Director General (Investigation) – dg-nhrc@nic.in
 
National Commission for Women in India – ncw@nic.in
Complaint Cell – complaintcell-ncw@nic.in
 
National Commission for Scheduled Castes
Prof. Dr. Rameshankar Katheria (Chairman) – +91 – 24620435, +91 – 24606802
Shri L. Murugan, Vice Chairman – +91 – 24654105, +91 – 24606828
 
National Commission for Scheduled Tribes
Shri Nand Kumar Sai, Chairperson – chairperson@ncst.nic.in
Mr. Vinod Kumar Nagvanshi, APS to Chairperson – vnagwanshi7@gmail.com
 
 

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