'Narmada Andolan's success lies in changing views on dams'

By Our Staff Reporter

BANGALORE, NOV. 26. Downplaying the negative impact of the Supreme Court judgment on the Sardar Sarovar Project, noted historian, Prof. Ramachandra Guha, on Sunday sought to focus attention on the Narmada Bachao Andolan's success in "radically transforming the way at which the world looks at large dams."

Prof. Guha, addressing a gathering of Narmada Solidarity Forum activists here, equated the Andolan to the Chipko movement and attributed their success to commitment to social justice and environmental concerns linked to people. "Both movements have inspired critical and intellectual assessments of the country's ecological concerns. Studies undertaken include water management, forest management, biodiversity and a whole range of related topics," he said.

He said the Chipko Andolan did not change forest management in Uttar Pradesh. "But despite its failure in Uttar Pradesh, the movement triggered a worldwide thinking in favour of forest management. Concepts such as community forestry arose in Indonesia, Malaysia."

In her second visit to the City on the Narmada platform, Booker prize-winning author, Ms. Arundhati Roy, justified her recent writings for the movement. "When I went to the Valley, I realised it needed a writer who writes fiction. I realised what they (the movement) needed was our intellectual and artistic support. My anger is very fresh and very sharp," she said.

As much as 40 per cent of the world's big dams under construction, Ms. Roy said, were in India. And that showed when the World Commission on Large Dams was refused entry to the country. The Union Government's reaction to extensive research on the number of people who would be rendered landless, and who were displaced in the past was cynical. "They simply take the information and reason that someone has to pay the price for development."

She said the World Bank had promised a loan of $ 450 millions for the project even before a critical assessment could be made. The Ministry of Environment had cleared the project in 1987. "Until today, no study has been undertaken."

"I am not saying all big dams are bad," Ms. Roy clarified. But she was sure that big dams were used as "political instruments where you take all the resources from the river and you decide who to make the beneficiaries."

The Sardar Sarovar Project, she said, would irrigate less than nine per cent of cultivable land in Saurashtra. Now, the Government was speaking about alternative methods. "But when you are using 85 per cent of Gujarat's irrigation budget for the project, where is the money for the development of alternatives," she wondered.

Panel's findings

On the findings of the World Commission on Dams, a former Planning Commission member, Mr. L.C.Jain, said the Commission examined about 1,000 dams worldwide and found almost universally the performance was nowhere close to the plan. The cost was several times higher than the initial budget, and alternative options to big dams were seldom considered.

The people affected were nowhere consulted and everywhere, the brunt was borne by the indigenous tribal people. "The Commission has recommended prior informed consent from the local people and an assessment of alternatives before planning."

India, Mr. Jain said, was the only country which did not allow the Commission to inspect its dams, dubbing the whole body as "Anti-dam."

The Commission Report was released by South African President, Mr. Nelson Mandela, in London on November 16.

Review petition

Although the Narmada Bachao Andolan did not harbour much hope in revision of the Supreme Court verdict, it had filed a review petition in the apex court, Mr. Shripad Dharmadhikari said. An application for clarification had also been filed, he added.

He said the Andolan had no illusions of support from the mainstream political parties. "Political parties have not played any role. The Left parties had only promised support on the issue of rehabilitation."

Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Section  : Southern States
Previous : States must back Centre's plan: Laxman
Next     : Cong(I) keen on Prema Cariappa becoming Mayor