narmada | archives of global protests

Crisis in the Narmada Valley

Urgent Appeal: Crisis in the Narmada Valley
From the Narmada Bachao Andolan (NBA) July 29, 2003

Dear Friends,

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

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/


narmada | www.agp.org (archives) | www.all4all.org