NEW DELHI, August 8 (OneWorld) - Environmental activists Friday called for the immediate rehabilitation of thousands of villagers whose lives are endangered by the rising waters of a controversial dam over the river Narmada in northwest India.
A statement issued by environment groups says police officials are forcibly evacuating villagers living along the Narmada, The river - where the Sardar Sarovar dam is being constructed - in the Indian states of Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh has been in spate this rainy season.
"A grim situation awaits more than 1500 families in Maharashtra and 12000 families in Madhya Pradesh who face submergence this monsoon due to the rise in the height of the Sardar Sarovar dam to 100 meters in May of this year," the groups say.
To protest the lack of rehabilitation measures, villagers in the Narmada Valley are on a peaceful sit-in from August 6. Two representatives of the tribal communities are on a relay fast in Maharashtra's Chimalkhadi and Nimgavan villages.
"...if there is no substantial progress before the next submergence or flood, then the Satyagrahis (peaceful protestors) will take a different and more intensified step," warns Kiran Kumar Vissa of the U.S.-based Association for India's Development.
Sardar Sarovar is the largest dam being built on the Narmada. The Narmada Bachao Andolan (NBA) — a group that has been spearheading a campaign against the dam — says the government's claim that the dam, once completed, will irrigate more than 1.8 million hectares of land is "grossly exaggerated."
On the flip-side, the activists hold, the dam will displace thousands of people from their villages. "The Sardar Sarovar Dam will affect at least 43,000 families," says NBA member Sukumar.
The environment groups, including the Association for India's Development, Friends of River Narmada and the International Rivers Network, have urged the government to speed up the rehabilitation of people whose villages are in danger of being submerged.
"The state governments have violated their pledges to ensure fair and complete rehabilitation of the dam-affected people," the groups stress.
Activists allege that villagers are also being harassed by the police. On July 28, a police force forcibly evicted the residents of village Chimalkhedi in Maharashtra. The village has turned into an island, surrounded by the rising waters of the Narmada.
"The police force destroyed homes, let cattle loose and forcibly evicted the villagers, arresting 76 people including women, children and activists," the groups say. "We severely condemn the use of police brutality and arrests of indigenous peoples and activists."
The activists point out that after a sustained campaign, the government of Madhya Pradesh had promised to resettle villagers who were going to lose their land to the dam. "(But) it is yet to take any concrete steps although they have agreed to work with village-level bodies on land-for-land rehabilitation," it says.
In May this year, the Narmada Control Authority (NCA) - a government-run body - authorized an increase in the height of the dam from 95 meters to 100 meters.
"This was in the face of abundant evidence that the most basic requirements of fair and just resettlement and rehabilitation of affected people had not occurred even at the 95-meter level," the groups stress.
NBA leader Medha Patkar went on a fast from May 30 after the decision to raise the height of the dam was taken. "She broke her fast on June 6, 2003, after a faxed assurance from the state government of Maharashtra that they would give land of their choice to all displaced persons and families, withdraw the police cases against them, and provide compensation for all the damage to be caused by this year's submergence," says Vissa.
The NBA stresses that despite assurances, villagers still live in a state of uncertainty, worsened by a minor earthquake, measuring 4.3 on the Richter scale, that struck the region on July 26.
"No proper steps have been taken by any government," says Sukumar. "There is no other option but to fight," he declares.
In May last year, the height of the dam was increased from 90 to 95 meters. The environmentalists maintain that houses were swept away and fields submerged in the rainy season from July to September.
The Maharashtra government, according to the statement, had agreed to pay about US $76,000 as compensation to villagers whose crops and houses had been submerged. "The families are still in the valley awaiting their rightful land-for-land rehabilitation," the groups say.
"There is a lack of will in the government to either rehabilitate all those affected by the dam, or to find alternatives to mega-projects such as the Sardar Sarovar," protests Sukumar.
The Supreme Court of India had ruled three years ago that all those evicted should be compensated with land at least six months before their villages were submerged.
The groups have urged the governments "to keep their promises" and ensure the complete rehabilitation of all dam-affected people.
2. Narmada situation update and appeal
Wed, 6 Aug 2003 05:14:48 -0700 (PDT)
Dear friends
The situation in the Narmada Valley continues to be grave. The rising waters engulfed farms, with what looked like a bumper crop, and not less than 60 houses - but that was just the first flood of July. What is to follow in the months of 'Rakhya' and 'Kelya' is known to the adivasis who continue to give a brave fight. In Nimgavan (Maharashtra), water entered 28 houses, including the home of senior NBA activist Keshav bhau Vasave. In Jalsindhi (Madhya Pradesh), Bawa bhai's decades-old house was submerged, along with Luhariya's second home, built after his home submerged last year. Those in Chimalkhedi (Maharashtra), who stayed put even after the sea-like water surrounded the small 20-household hamlet, were arrested after hours of persuasion and pressures from the officials failed. They were put in Dhuliya jail, and were released yesterday. They have returned to the village again- to face the next flood, more furious, more devastating and challenging. With such a struggle on, the world should be watching, yet it's not.
The villages in the Vindhyas and Satpuras in Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, and a few in Gujarat, are deep in the interior, spread over many kilometres in the dense green forests. Even with commitment and perseverance, our supporters and even monitors find it difficult to reach there, while the police reach them riding the huge flood on their huge barges.
Literally caught between the sea on one side and a cliff on the other, people have to wage this battle this year again. This year again, there is no final resolution of the various issues related to land rights, land records- including a whopping two-thirds of the Maharashtra families who are 'undeclared' and just left out of the official lists. Issues like locating adequate, arable agricultural land, and actual rehabilitation still need to be carried out. In it only in utter violation of the apex court's judgement and the legally binding policies that villages and people are inundated without rehabilitation or even resettlement. This was made possible by the farcical sanction of the dam height increase to 100 metres + 3 metres humps at a meeting in May, where it was wrongfully claimed that all affected people of the three states had been resettled.
A total subversion of the system- local to national, executive to judiciary- brings this fate, but strengthens the resolve and the struggle for truth, democracy and justice. The Sardar Sarovar is already infested with financial non-viability, seismic risks and environmentally disastrous impacts; only time will tell us the real story. If we are not just children to wait till the darkness inundates us at night to listen to the story, we should know the unjust benefit distribution for Kutch, the real needy and an unreliable generation of water and power, at an enormous cost- environmental, social and economic.
After having given a warning for one month, since the commencement of the monsoon, when there was no response even from the Government of Maharashtra to bring out an official Government Resolution (GR) based on the peoples' demands that was already approved by the state cabinet. So now, Satyagraha has begun. Since yesterday, August 5th, two adivasi representatives of the communities in each tehsil have taken to relay fast at Nimgavan and Chimalkhedi, 50 kilometres apart. Simultaneously, the date of the next flood, whenever it may be, has been given to officials as a deadline. If there is no official response to resolve the conflict with official written communication by then, we will step into the next phase of Satyagraha.
We appeal to all our close and distant supporters and sympathisers to join us. Come to the valley, express your solidarity through articles, press statements, mass actions, meetings and conferences; mobilising others- activists, eminent persons, supporters; raising funds. We appeal to individuals and groups of concerned citizens to extend their support to the families to be affected whom the callous governments of the three states are not compensating, through a modus operandi set up by a young citizens' group against unjustifiable, forcible displacement. A separate appeal from them will reach you all soon, or else you can approach us for further information.
The upcoming actions and programs planned are as follows:
August 7th: In Nimgavan, checking of all the records, with official documents including the Task Force to finalize the list of the affected families. Officials of three departments and activists in the special Gram Sabha.
August 8th: In Chimalkhedi, checking records as above.
August 9th: Shaheed diwas (Martyr's Day) to commemorate the adivasis' freedom fighters and martyrs including Khajya Naik, Bhima Naik, Tantya Bhil, and Rehma Vasave.
August 12th: Raksha Bandhan- A human tie and bond beyond caste, creed, religion, gender with an appeal to save life and livelihood.
August 14th: Mass gathering in Bhilgaon, at the site of the micro-hydel project, with guests. Overnight drum-beats, cultural meet with flag-hoisting at midnight.
August 15th: With the guests reaching Nimgavan, flag hoisting and children's program at Jeevan Shala.
We must strive not to allow the terrorising forces to subdue us, hence this ongoing battle, as also the appeal to you. Awaiting your response,
Karuna DW Philip Matthew Keshav Vasave Noorji Padvi Kamala Yadav Mohan Patidar Medha Patkar
Email/FAX/call the concerned ministers:
- Sushil Kumar Shinde, Chief Minister of Mantralaya, Mumbai, Maharashtra (Ph. Office: 022-22025151, 22025222 Ext 3503; Fax: 022-23633272. Residence: 022-23630408, 23634950).
- Digvijay Singh, Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh, Shyamla Hills, Bhopal. (Ph. 0755- (Off) 551581, 551433, 551396, Fax: 540501 (Res) 540500, 540361, 540503, 540564 E-mail: cm
mp.nic.in
- Chairman R&R Sub-Group of NCA, C. Gopal Reddy, Secreatary, Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, Shastri Bhavan, New Delhi-1. Ph. (011) 2338 2683, 2338 9184, (F) 2338 5180. Email: secywelsb.nic.in
- Dr. Satya Narayan Jatiya, Union Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment, Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, Shastri Bhavan, New Delhi -110001 Ph. (O) 23381390, 23381001, Fax: 23381902 (R) 23017519, 23792832, Fax: 23792599. Email: jatiyasansad.nic.in
- Mr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, President of India, Rashtrapati Bhavan, New Delhi-1 ( Ph: 23015321, Fax : 11-23017290 & 11-23017824) E-mail : pressecyalpha.nic.in
- Mr. Atal Behari Vajpayee, Prime Minister of India, 7, Race Course Road, New Delhi-1 Ph. (011) 23012312, 23013149, 23016857 Fax : 23016857 Email: vajpayeesansad.nic.in
- Smt. Sonia Gandhi, President of Congress Party, 10, Janpath, New Delhi -110001. Ph. (O) (011) 23017470, 23034285, 23016705, 23034984; (R) 23014481, 23014161, 23792263. Email: soniagandhisansad.nic.in