Narmada Samachar: 17 July 2001

As the submergence water of the Sardar Sarovar Project (SSP) is expected
to rise menacingly by early hours of Tuesday( July 17), due to the large
scale releases from the Bargi dam upstream, the villagers and activists
camping at the Satyagraha places of Domkhedi and Jalsindhi are determined
to face the submergence once again. In a statement Medha Patkar made it
clear that the Satyagrahis are opposed to any 'sham act' of rescuing them
by the government through police action while refusing to address the
basic issues regarding displacement and resettlement, raised by the
people.

There is an imminent danger of the large-scale submergence in the Narmada
valley area affected by the SSP, due to the large volume of water releases
in Narmada from the upstream Bargi dam near Jabalpur. According to the
information in the evening of July 14 (Saturday), all the 21 gates of the
Bargi dam were opened with the release of volume of 3.63 million cusecs
water in the riverbed. It is expected that the river level at the dam site
would increase from present 95+ meters to 97+/98 + meters. The large
volume would reach the Satyagraha place in Domkhedi and Jalsindhi and,
there is a possibility that the Satyagraha place might be under the
submergence water at least upto one and half to two meters ( around five
to six feet ), till the late night of July 16, early 17 (Monday or
Tuesday). The villagers and activists including Geeta, Pravin, Devrambhai,
Medha Patkar and others^ÅThe Satyagrahis are prepared to face submergence
with the determination and resolve not to succumb to the injustice.

According to the Satyagrahis, this unjust submergence is caused by the
order of the Indian Supreme Court, allowing the unfettered rise in the
height of the dam upto 90 meters in its judgement and subsequently paving
the way for the humps of 3 meters.

" Also, the Maharashtra government is a party in this crime, as it has
been endorsing the Gujarat's pervert insistence for raising the height at
the dam at any cost. The Justice (Retd). Dawood Committee has exposed the
myth of rehabilitation, in which the Indian Supreme Court had believed
unquestioningly. The Committee has pointed out that the oustees in
Maharashtra upto 90 meters have not been resettled and the submergence
hitherto has been without rehabilitation."

Medha Patkar, in her statement from Domkhedi has come heavily down on the
persistent falsehood by Maharashtra government, even at this critical
juncture. The authorities have asked the people in the submergence zone to
move out as they " have been living there unauthorisedly". She pointed out
that these tribal families have been living and farming on the banks
Narmada for more than last 20 generations. They have fought against the
British. And now they are fighting for their rights against our own
rulers.

The statement made it clear that " The authorities have been humiliating
the protesting people through the tamasha (sham act) of ' rescue
operations', thus burying and evading the basic issues of the people's
Satyagraha. The people have undertaken to do away with such 'rescue
centers' in a peaceful manner, without harming anyone, as tribals feel
humilated by such treatment and references of 'unauthorised settlers'. "We
are prepared to take up the non-violent struggle against such injustice to
the ultimate, staking our lives by facing the submergence waters", the
Satyagrahis expressed the resolve.

Joe Athialy 
Ashish Mandloi
Clifton
Sanjay Sangvai 

The attempts of S. Kumars, the promoter of the Maheshwar hydroelectric
power project, to raise funds for the project from Indian financial
institutions meet with resistance from the project-affected people
and the Narmada Bachao Andolan.