Skip to main content

As villages submerge, earthquake tremors felt in Narmada valley: Centre 'indifferent'

By A Representative
The Narmada Bachao Andolan (NBA), India’s top anti-dam campaign organization, that following the Sardar Sarovar dam reaching full reservoir level (FRL), 138.68 metres, villages in the upstream have begun experiencing “earthquake tremors.” In a statement issued from Badwani, where NBA is holding a major rally to protest against Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s birthday bash at the dam site, NBA said, this is happening alongside “drowning” of villages in the Narmada valley.
“On September 16, around 6-7 pm, about half-a-dozen earthquake shocks were heard in Madil village throughout the night”, the statement says, adding, “The explosions were so big that the roof and roof of a house fell down. Apart from Madil, these tremors were felt overnight in Devjhiri, Sakar and Bhamoli villages of Rajpur tehsil. The people of the village could not sleep due to fear of collapse of houses and other buildings.”
Earlier, Eklavara and Segwa villages, which have been half submerged, constantly faced earthquakes, making the situation frightening for people, NBA said, adding, if till now hundreds of families were suffering due to submergence, now walls of houses are dilapidating and collapsing as water enters houses. Walls have cracks, they are falling apart because of earthquake.
NBA quotes Nar Singh, a resident of Madil Tehsil, as saying that for the last one month, there have been earthquake tremors sometimes in the interval of 5- 10 minutes. Blasts can be heard at night, ripping apart roofs. Luggage fells down. Children and family members sit in panic all night. Bricks, pottery and roofing of raw houses get damaged.
Despite such a terrible situation, the administration is not focused on this, the state government has not installed any state level team to check earthquake measuring devices, NBA regretted. The team from the Centre is investigating it, it seems it does not have full understanding of the area. The reports of earthquake measuring instruments are not being disclosed.

Comments

TRENDING

Neville Cardus: The man who turned cricket writing into poetry

By Harsh Thakor*  Neville Cardus was one of the most remarkable literary figures of the twentieth century. A prolific English writer and critic, he achieved distinction in two vastly different fields: cricket and classical music. Entirely self-taught, Cardus rose from humble beginnings to become both the cricket correspondent and chief music critic of The Manchester Guardian . His achievements in these contrasting disciplines earned him widespread acclaim and established him as one of the foremost critics of his generation. In February 2025, the cricketing and literary world marked the fiftieth anniversary of his death, which occurred in February 1975.

​Ideological shifts and structural realities within India's left-wing insurgency

​By Harsh Thakor*  The Maoist insurgency in India is arguably at its weakest point since the formation of the Communist Party of India (Maoist) in 2004. Years of sustained counterinsurgency operations, leadership losses, shrinking territorial influence, declining recruitment, and growing technological advantages enjoyed by the state have significantly eroded the movement's operational capabilities. 

The Dalit body on screen: Stereotypes, sacrifice, and subjugation in Hindi films

By Dr. Prem Singh*  Despite centuries of reformist efforts, from Gandhi and Ambedkar to contemporary activists, the caste system remains deeply embedded in the Indian psyche. One of the primary reasons for this persistence is the religious sanction provided by Brahminical scriptures, which have shaped not only social structures but also cultural and artistic expressions.