The Maheshwar Dam : a Brief Introduction

The Maheshwar Dam is part of the Narmada Valley Development Project that entails the construction of 30 large and 135 medium-sized dams in the Narmada Valley. Maheshwar is one of the planned large dams and is slated to provide 400 Megawatts in energy. The project has been planned since 1978 and was originally under the auspices of the Narmada Valley Development Authority. In 1989 the responsibility for Maheshwar was conferred on the Madhya Pradesh Electricity Board (MPEB). Subsequently in 1993, the concession for the Maheshwar Project was awarded to the S. Kumars, a textile magnate. In 1994, the project received a conditional environmental clearance from the Central Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF). Maheshwar is the first privately financed hydroelectric dam in India and is expected to displace around 35,000 people. As with Sardar Sarovar, the details of resettlement and compensation are nowhere near a satisfactory state of affairs. The NBA has been leading the movement against the Maheshwar dam.

On December 13th, 2000, Ogden Corporation joined the procession of companies that were forced to withdraw from the Maheshwar project. In 1998 and then 1999, first, the US power utility Pacgen and then the German power utilities Bayernwerk and VEW Energie withdrew from the Maheshwar Project. Subsequently, in June, 2000, a team of international experts commissioned by the Development Ministry of the German government visited the valley and came out with a report that sharply indicted the Project. In the wake of the report, Siemens was compelled to withdraw its application for an export guarantee from the German government, and a proposed loan of Rs.5700 million from a German bank fell through.

Ogden Corporation's involvement in the Maheshwar Project

• Ogden Corporation Withdraws from Maheswar Project; December 13, 2000
• Thousands celebrate withdrawal of US power utility from Maheshwar Project, protest indiscriminate globalisation and privatization; January 7, 2001
• Ogdam report - Report distributed to Ogden shareholders: HTML; Word doc
• Meeting with Maheshwar Dam Protestors:
  Senior Ogden Officials Commit to Talks with NBA, Affected Communities; June 19th, 2000
• Some Claims by Ogden and Rebuttals
• Ogden barraged with calls urging company to withdraw from notorious Indian dam: May 23rd, 2000: IRN Press Release
• US Company Signs Deal For Notorious Indian Dam; Opponents Demand That Ogden Withdraw : March 27th, 2000: IRN Press Release:

Actions carried out or planned in response to Ogden's involvement

• Letter sent to Ogden regarding Maheshwar
• Barrage Ogden Day - #1: April 25th
• Barrage Ogden Day - #2: May 23rd
• Demonstration in New York City against Ogden: June 14th

Other actions against the Maheshwar dam

• German activists protest against Maheshwar dam; September 18, 2000

Some resources on the Maheshwar project

• Task Force Report on the Maheshwar project
• The Bissel report on Resettlement and Rehabilitation in the Maheshwar Dam project
• NBA Press Releases on Maheshwar
• Press clippings on Maheshwar
• The Maheshwar Struggle : A chronology of events
• Maheshwar : A Factsheet
• Mardana Declaration by elected representatives on the Maheshwar Dam
• Report of the inquiry in respect of violence, arrest, and use of force by police and others against women demonstrators at Maheshwar Hydel Project site on 22nd and 23rd April 1998. National Commission for Women
• The art of spinning: How Uncle Sam turns Indian gold into straw; Arundhati Roy; Tehelka.com
  
• An ill-conceived and ill-fated project by Dr Sandeep Pandey; Kashmir Times
• The Maheshwar Dam in India A briefing report by the German NGO, Urgewald. This resulted in the withdrawal of German utilities, Bayernwerk and VEW from the project.
• IRN Press Release on the withdrawal
• Resolution of International NGO's on the Maheshwar project (April 27 1999)