The submergence caused by the Narmada river due to the 100 meter Sardar Sarovar dam height is increasing and has entered almost all the 33 Adivasi villages in Maharashtra. It has submerged the Nimagavhan and by now it must have submerged the Jeevan Shalas (School for life) of Narmada Bachao Andolan. The water level is expected to go up to 120 meters soon.
The government of Maharashtra has not initiated even the most primary action towards rehabilitation of the people threatened with submergence. Till this time it has not issued a Government order (GR) for rehabilitation according to the assurances it has given to end the indefinite fast by Medha Patkar and dharna in May-June 2003.
Instead it chose to deal with the people through police. On Tuesday (July 29), police arrested another 74 people alongwith activists like Pratibha Shinde, Noorjibhai and others.
The NBA has sent a letter to the District Collector to come to Dhadgaon (Tehsil Akrani) on August 1, 2003 with all the responses from the government and answer the people's questions. The main activists including Medha Patkar are in the valley with the people.
We call unto you to immediately call/fax/email/meet the Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Mr. Sushilkumar Shinde, Mantralaya, Mumbai-400003
+91-22-23634950; +91-22-23630408; (Residence)
+91-22-22025151; +91-22-22025222; (Office)
Fax: 022-23633272, 022-22029214
Chief Secy. Ajit Nimbalkar +91-9821092411 (Mobile)
and demand the following
- Initiate concrete steps immediately to resettle people affected by the SSP in Maharashtra. A revised GR should be issued instantly and the Collector be instructed to carry out the rehabilitation process in a just, participatory manner.
- Correct the faulty Resolution passed by the Government of Maharashtra as per the discussions held with the Ministers and terms agreed upon and implement these without delays.
- Immediately implement the recommendations of the Task Force Report set up by the Maharashtra Government and conducted jointly by the Government and the Narmada Bachao Andolan.
- Demand that Gujarat keeps the SSP gates open in order to minimise submergence in Maharashtra.
- Demand an immediate geological enquiry into the Earthquake at the dam-site that took place on the 17th July morning and measured 4.3 on the richter scale.
- Full compensation for the damage and destruction following the just panchnamas in the affected villages.
- The Maharashtra government should not allow any further increase in height of the dam since people affected at 80 meters are yet to be resettled.
Please stand by in solidarity with the people in the Narmada valley. Make public the injustice of the State and central governments in India and do not allow the governments to evade the responsibility of saefguarding the lives and livelihoods of the people.
M.K.Sukumar
Sanjay Sangvai
Pervin Jenhangir
Narmada Bachao Andolan
For more information please visit 
http://www.narmada.org/