Skip to main content

Gujarat govt claims oustees "fully satisfied" with land acquired for Garudeshwar weir on Narmada

Villagers protest against weir
By Our Representative
The Gujarat government has claimed that villagers, whose land has been acquired for constructing the Garudeshwar weir across Narmada river, and 12 km from the Narmada dam site, were “fully satisfied” with the package offered to them decades ago. In said this in an affidavit filed before the National Green Tribunal (NGT) in response to a petition filed by Gujarat-based environmental body Paryavaran Suraksha Samiti (PSS), seeking stoppage of work at the weir, alleging the weir’s environmental and rehabilitation and resettlement (R&R) clearances have not been taken, as required by law.
The environmentalist group had cited a March 2013 letter written by Shekhar Singh, a senior member of the Narmada Control Authority (NCA), responsible for all clearances for the Sardar Sarovar Project (SSP), asking the Gujarat government “to immediately stop construction of the Garudeshwar weir”, as it has not submitted “full feasibility report, environment and social impact assessment report including impacts during construction and operation of the weir” to the environmental sub-group of the NCA.
Interestingly, the state government assertion comes at a time when the Government of India has admitted that it has not received any documents from the Gujarat government for environmental clearance of the weir. In its affidavit before the NGT on the same petition, the ministry of environment and forests (MoEF) has stated, it did not receive “either for scoping/terms of reference (TOR) or environmental clearance”, nor does it have any “information on Garudeshwar project.”
Ignoring Shekhar Singh’s and Government of India’s contention, the state government has said that the weir’s “land acquisition proceedings commenced in 1987 by issuance of a notification under Section 4 of the Land Acquisition Act”, adding, “The land required to be acquired under the Land Acquisition Act, was 113.81 hectares (ha) and only 23 ha are in the process of acquisition. The remaining land was acquired long back in pursuance of the several notifications issued under Section 4 of the Land Acquisition Act right from 1987 onwards till 2007”.
The state government has further said that the weir-affected land owners have “accepted” the “statutory awards contemplated under the Land Acquisition Act”, adding, “All the persons whose lands were acquired approached the district court seeking higher quantum of compensation, and thereafter the High Court of Gujarat, clearly showing that no one has objected to the land being acquired.”
Meanwhile, the state government appears to have stirred up hornet’s nest by declaring that the weir is part of the Sardar Sarovar Project (SSP), and not an “isolated project”. It says, SSP is “a comprehensive project encompassing within its sweep the construction of dam, construction of dykes, canals, construction and installation of electricity generating power house and construction of Garudeshwar weir”.
Its affidavit suggests that the weir is a very important component of the Narmada dam. Referring to how it would help generate power produced at the dam, it insists, “The construction of weir is of tremendous public importance since the same would enable the reversible operation of the underground powerhouse units (six turbines of 200 Mega Watt each, already constructed and commissioned several years ago) and thereby will enable production of peak electrical energy under all condition of water availability by use of reversible turbine.”
The statement has made senior environmentalists Rohit Prajapati and Lakhan Musafir, who filed the petition before the NGT, wonder, if this were so, why were those whose land was acquired for constructing the weir refused compensation as per the SSP. They have insisted, if the weir was part of the SSP “then the affected persons of Garudeshwar weir need to be treated as per the SSP resettlement and rehabilitation policies.”
The environmentalists say, the permission to raise the dam height beyond 90 metres, according to a Supreme Court order of 2000, should be given by the Narmada Control Authority (NCA) from time to time after it obtains the clearances from the NCA’s R&R and environment sub-groups. And because the weir is part of the SSP, the same should apply to it. They insist, “At no stage since 1987 have the social and environmental impacts for Garudeshwar weir been assessed and such assessment had not approved by the competent authorities.”
The state government claim that the weir affected persons “happily accepted” the land acquisition package comes when 70 villagers around the Narmada dam have strongly reacted to the weir without any approval from their gram sabhas. They have sought to invoke Schedule V of the Constitution of India, under which approval from the gram sabhas is a must before going ahead with any major project that may affect their livelihood.
Construction of the weir, according to the villagers, who have formed an informal organization called Sitter Gaam Adivasi Sangathan, is being carried out at a time when the whole area is sought to be converted into a tourist spot. The Panchayats (Extension to Scheduled Areas) Act, 1996 or PESA requires gram sabha approval for any such land acquisition is a must if adivasis are involved.
In a representation to the Gujarat government last year, the Sangathan said, “More than 1,000 acres of land will be submerged because of the Garudeshwar weir, yet there is no mention in the package as to for how many days in a year this will happen, and if people will get compensated because of the destruction of standing crop if the submergence is temporary.”

Comments

Rishit said…
I recently visited Indravarna and saw the weir being constructed myself. An artificial barricade is formed in the waters using mud from the banks. Once the barricaded water dries out, the construction will start. It looks horrible. Just a few kilometers away a Statue worth 200 crores stands to be constructed. And a few kilometers away from the statue stands the ugliest man-made structure, the Sardar Sarovar Dam. What do they think they're doing to this region? Police surveillance is at its peak. Locals are cornered and threatened. The people of Indravarna complained of the small size of watermelons that grows ever since the Narmada dam was built. Something to do with the fertile soil the river used to bring. They are so dejected that they have told the authorities that they don't want any money. They are being forced to move.

TRENDING

Junk food push causing severe public health crisis of obesity, diabetes in India: Report

By Rajiv Shah  A new report , “The Junk Push: Rising Consumption of Ultra-processed foods in India- Policy, Politics and Reality”, public health experts, consumers groups, lawyers, youth and patient groups, has called upon the Government of India to check the soaring consumption of High Fat Sugar or Salt (HFSS) foods or ultra-processed foods (UPF), popularly called junk food.

Astonishing? Violating its own policy, Barclays 'refinanced' Adani Group's $8 billion bonds

By Rajiv Shah  A new report released by two global NGOs, BankTrack and the Toxic Bonds Network, has claimed to have come up with “a disquieting truth”: that Barclays, a financial heavyweight with a “controversial” track record, is deeply entrenched in a “disturbing” alliance with “the Indian conglomerate and coal miner Adani Group.”

From 'Naatu-Naatu' to 'Nipah-Nipah': Dancing to the tune of western pipers?

By Dr Amitav Banerjee, MD*  Some critics have commented that the ecstatic response of most Indians to the Oscar for the racy Indian song, “Naatu-Naatu” from the film, “RRR” reeks of sheer racism, insulting visuals and a colonial hangover. It was perhaps these ingredients that impressed the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, one critic says.

Insider plot to kill Deendayal Upadhyay? What RSS pracharak Balraj Madhok said

By Shamsul Islam*  Balraj Madhok's died on May 2, 2016 ending an era of old guards of Hindutva politics. A senior RSS pracharak till his death was paid handsome tributes by the RSS leaders including PM Modi, himself a senior pracharak, for being a "stalwart leader of Jan Sangh. Balraj Madhok ji's ideological commitment was strong and clarity of thought immense. He was selflessly devoted to the nation and society. I had the good fortune of interacting with Balraj Madhok ji on many occasions". The RSS also issued a formal condolence message signed by the Supremo Mohan Bhagwat on behalf of all swayamsevaks, referring to his contribution of commitment to nation and society. He was a leading RSS pracharak on whom his organization relied for initiating prominent Hindutva projects. But today nobody in the RSS-BJP top hierarchy remembers/talks about Madhok as he was an insider chronicler of the immense degeneration which was spreading as an epidemic in the high echelons of th

Buddhist shrines were 'massively destroyed' by Brahmanical rulers: Historian DN Jha

Nalanda mahavihara By Our Representative Prominent historian DN Jha, an expert in India's ancient and medieval past, in his new book , "Against the Grain: Notes on Identity, Intolerance and History", in a sharp critique of "Hindutva ideologues", who look at the ancient period of Indian history as "a golden age marked by social harmony, devoid of any religious violence", has said, "Demolition and desecration of rival religious establishments, and the appropriation of their idols, was not uncommon in India before the advent of Islam".

Avoidable Narmada floods: Modi birthday fete caused long wait for release of dam waters

Counterview Desk  Top advocacy group, South Asia Network on Dams, Rivers and People (SANDRP), has accused the Sardar Sarovar dam operators for once again acting in an "unaccountable" manner, bringing "avoidable floods in downstream Gujarat."  In a detailed analysis, SANDRP has said that the water level at the Golden Bridge in Bharuch approached the highest flood level on September 17, 2023, but these "could have been significantly lower and much less disastrous" both for the upstream and downstream areas of the dam, if the authorities had taken action earlier based on available actionable information.

A Hindu alternative to Valentine's Day? 'Shiv-Parvati was first love marriage in Universe'

By Rajiv Shah*   The other day, I was searching on Google a quote on Maha Shivratri which I wanted to send to someone, a confirmed Shiv Bhakt, quite close to me -- with an underlying message to act positively instead of being negative. On top of the search, I chanced upon an article in, imagine!, a Nashik Corporation site which offered me something very unusual. 

Jharkhand: Attempt to create red scare for 'brutal crackdown', increase loot of resources

Counterview Desk  The civil rights group Forum Against Corporatization and Militarization in a statement on plans to crackdown on “64 democratic progressive organisations” in Jharkhand under the pretext of the need to investigate their Maoist link, has alleged that this an attempt to suppress dissent against corporate loot and create an authoritarian state.

Victim of 'hazardous' jobs, Delhi sanitary workers get two thirds of minimum wages

By Sanjeev Kumar*  Recently, the Dalit Adivasi Shakti Adhikar Manch (DASAM) organized a Training of Trainers (ToT) Workshop for sewer workers and waste pickers from all across Delhi NCR. The workshop focused on bringing sanitation workers from different parts of Delhi to train them for organization building and to discuss their issues of minimum wage, contractual labour, regular jobs and social security.

Savarkar 'criminally betrayed' Netaji and his INA by siding with the British rulers

By Shamsul Islam* RSS-BJP rulers of India have been trying to show off as great fans of Netaji. But Indians must know what role ideological parents of today's RSS/BJP played against Netaji and Indian National Army (INA). The Hindu Mahasabha and RSS which always had prominent lawyers on their rolls made no attempt to defend the INA accused at Red Fort trials.