Several academics and activists have expressed deep concern about the recent decision of the Narmada Control Authority (NCA) to raise the height of the Sardar Sarovar dam by 16.76 metres.
This will take the height to the designed final height of 138.68 metres. In a letter to Union water resources minister Uma Bharati, they said this decision of the NCA is unjustified and unwise as it would cause huge additional displacement, when rehabilitation of the people affected even at the current height is incomplete. Even at the current height, Gujarat is in a position to take the water stored to virtually any part of the designed command area, and can draw its share of water as per the Narmada Water Disputes Tribunal (NWDT) award.
The letter said Gujarat has been able to utilise only a small portion of the water available at current height and so there are no compelling reasons for raising the height on this count. It said the decision taken by the newly formed government at the centre and the NCA to raise the height of the dam within two weeks of oath by the new government is a hasty, unwise and disastrous decision. It appealed to the government to immediately withdraw the decision to raise the height of the dam and said there are studies and alternatives which indicate that Gujarat may be able to utilise its share of Narmada waters at current height and no further height increase may be required.
While the authorities have generally been claiming satisfactory rehabilitation, the letter said there is every indication that the rehabilitation even at current height falls quite short of what is legally required. Since the submergence and displacement that would take place between 121.92 metres and 138.68 metres would be massive, effective rehabilitation would be virtually impossible.
Activists said environment and climate change issues that are important in the long run have not been given due attention.
Downstream impacts of SSP on environment and livelihoods have not been properly assessed, environment-flows and requirements have not been studied and management plans have not been formulated or implemented.
The signatories to the letter are A. C. Bhagabati, A. Latha, A. Vaidyanathan, Achyut Das, Amita Baviskar, Ashish Kothari, Bharat Patankar, Brij Gopal, Devaki Jain, Dinesh Abrol, Dunu Roy, Ghanshyam Shah, Himanshu Thakkar, Himanshu Upadhyaya, K. J. Joy, Kanchan Chopra, M K Prasad, Mamata Dash, Manoj Mishra, N. C. Narayanan, Nafisa Bharot, Prashant Bhushan, Rajeswari Sarala Raina, Ramaswamy R. Iyer, S. Janakarajan, Sanjay Kak, Seema Kulkarni, Sharachchandra Lele, Shripad Dharmadhikary, Sudarshan Iyengar, Sudhirendar Sharma, Suhas Paranjape, Vimalbhai and Viren Lobo.
