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DAM-L LS: Hundreds Storm Water Resource and Power Ministries Offices (fwd)
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subject: LS: Hundreds Storm Water Resource and Power Ministries Offices
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Press Note: 17 November, 2000
Several Hundred People Storm Water Resource and Power Ministries : NBA
Challenges Narmada Control Authority and Power Ministry on Sardar Sarovar
and Maheshwar Projects: NBA files Review Petition.
Skirting the strong security several hundred people affected by the
controversial Sardar Sarovar and Maheshwar Projects on the Narmada, who are
in a dharna in Delhi, reached into the 4th floor of the office of Water
Resource Ministry where a meeting of Narmada Control Authority (NCA) is
supposed to be going on. After a long struggle with the police the
project affected people from the Narmada Valley led by Chittaroopa Palit
and Arundhati Dhuru, chanting slogans like NCA Hoshme Aao, managed to reach
to Mr.Hassan, Secretary of Water Resource ministry and Chairperson of
NCA. Mr.Hassan, told the people that the meeting of the NCA is going on
at Bikaji Kama Place and not here. People insisted that he should take
them to the meeting place. After a lot of argument Mr.Suresh Roy, Joint
Commissioner of Police finally took a seven member delegation including
Arundhati Dhuru and Chittaroopa Palit to meet Mr.Arjun Sethi, Cabinet
Minister for Water Resources. The Minister assured the delegation that he
would hold a meeting tomorrow at 11.00 a.m. with the NBA delegation and NCA
members, including the Secretary. Mr.Arjun Sethi also guaranteed the
delegation that no decision about increase in height will be taken till all
necessary arrangements have been done.
Narmada Bachao Andolan representatives demanded that the Authority (NCA)
should file a Special Affidavit in the Supreme Court stating the real
status of rehabilitation of the people affected at 90 mts height. The
reality is that large number of these families are not yet resettled and so
construction should not be carried on. Responding positively the Minister
assured that he will ask responsible officers from Ministry of Environment
and Forest and Ministry of Water Resources to be present in the meeting
tomorrow.
In the meanwhile, the Maheshwar Project Affected People lead by Alok
Agrawal, met Secretary-Power, Mr.Basu. and appraised about the high cost
of the electricity, Rs.9.50/- per unit from Maheshwar Project, if produced
at all. The Secretary while accepting this said that they themselves are
concerned about the high cost of the power from Maheshwar Project. Mr.Basu
also assured NBA delegation that it will go through all the technical
issues of the project and requested NBA to provide him with the available
documents. He also assured the delegation to call a meeting with NBA later
some time.
The delegation expressed concern to the Secretary about the news carried in
a daily yesterday, stating that Crisis Management Group of the Power
Ministry met yesterday and decided to achieve Financial Closure for all
the projects in India before December 30th. Any such move towards
Maheshwar Project will be opposed tooth and nail, they warned, as the
project was t have serious social and environmental impacts on top of very
high cost of power.
It may be noted that, hundreds of people affected by the Maheshwar
Hydro-Electric Project held an angry demonstration at the Central Office of
the Industrial Finance Corporation of India (IFCI) at Nehru Place in Delhi
yesterday. Carrying banners proclaiming 'No IFCI endorsement for Maheshwar
dam', the demonstrators drew attention to the economic and social
destruction that would accompany any attempt to go through with the
Maheshwar Dam. The demonstrators sang songs and gave angry slogans such as
'IFCI, hosh me aao, Narmada Ghati ko mat dubao.'
It may also be noted that, entering the 7th day of the Dharna at Delhi, the
police had stopped the people from going to the Narmada Control Authority
(NCA) office yesterday. They were on their way to the NCA premises to hold
a peaceful dharna and fast, to remind them that their callousness in
reporting the ground reality in respect to the rehabilitation of the people
affected even by the existing dam have created havoc and facilitated the
Supreme Court to allow further construction and any further recommendation
for further work will script death to the valley. The people, on stopping
from going further, have carried out their actions where they were stopped.
The dharna, with songs and slogans have demonstrated their determination to
fight, even when all arms of the system are seem to be against them.
A Review Petition was filed by the Narmada Bachao Andolan in the Supreme
Court today in the case of NBA Vs.Union of India and others asking for a
review of the majority judgement of the Supreme Court dated 18th October,
2000. Meanwhile, the hearing of the application by NBA for clarification
scheduled to be heard today has been postponed.
M.K. Sukumar
For, Narmada Bachao Andolan
Contact : c/o-011- 642 6783, 623 7724
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Whatever Your Law Says......
Narmada Valley is Ours....
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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