SARDAR SAROVAR DAM on NARMADA
An Appeal to raise your voice against submergence before rehabilitation: Save lives of 40,000 + families in Narmada Valley
Challenge Coca-Cola and other grabbing waters!
Narmada, the west-flowing, 1300 km long river in India, and the most ancient civilization of the world living in its basin is to face a massive calamity within next two and half months! 250,000 people in the Narmada Valley can face a watery grave unless you take action, intervene and challenge it.
Sardar Sarovar Project, one of the largest dams (out of 165 dams in the Narmada Valley) is raised to its final height: 139 meters: and the gates are to be closed this monsoon. Fighting a long long battle at various fronts over the last 31 years, the farmers, laborers, and fish workers received rehabilitation benefits like land-based rehabilitation to 14500 families, allotment of plots for houses for thousands, but much remains to be done. There are more than 40,000 families still residing in the submergence area, the densely populated villages and tribal (indigenous) communities with rehabilitation far from complete. The communities to be drowned if gates are closed have dense population, cement houses, socio-cultural-religious centers, shops, schools etc. not shifted out and can’t shift out of lands and homes unless they receive all entitlements. There is also the best of agriculture and horticulture, with millions of trees standing till today.
The Supreme Court of India has directed the government to pay a fairly large amount for farmers to purchase alternative five acres of land per family, and has asked Grievance Redressal Authorities to look into problems related to civic amenities at the resettlement sites, but has also directed all the families, including the 60% landless, to vacate the villages by the 31st of July, 2017. It has permitted the state to use force to evict if needed. When the land is not yet purchased, livelihood not obtained, when the alternative sites not ready, houses not built, where would they go?
All the citizens, activists, organizations across the world must stop the Indian government, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi from closing the gates of Sardar Sarovar Project.
Remember the water from Sardar Sarovar is flowing/will flow into Coca-Cola and many industries of Tatas, Ford, Adani, Ambani at the cost of the drought-affected people and taking away land and life of the dam affected communities.
Do question this
violation of human rights,
violation of environmental laws,
non-compliance with Supreme and other Court judgments,
and water grabbing by the corporates.
Pose a challenge to Coca-Cola drawing 3 million litres of water/day from Sardar Sarovar Dam, pushing for closure of gates causing submergence without rehabilitation.