'Raising Narmada dam height could lead to calamity bigger than

A Central fact finding committee today warned against increasing the height of Sardar Sarovar Dam on the Narmada river in Gujarat, saying that it could lead to a calamity bigger than the earthquake in Nepal.
In consultation with Delhi Solidarity Group, the six- member Central fact finding committee, including two members each from CPI and Congress and as many independent experts, on May 9 and 10 visited several villages in the Narmada Valley which are affected by the Sardar Sarovar project to find the current and actual ground situation of the project, affected families, and extent of resettlement and rehabilitation.

The committee today released its report "Drowning a valley: Destroying a civilization" from Sardar Sarovar project submergence areas in Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Gujarat.
"Even with the present height of about 122 meters, the team found that many families have not been recognized as submergence zone families.
"With the raising of the height of the dam structure by 17 meters to nearly 139 Meters, thousands more will be severely affected and submerged," said environmentalist and energy expert Soumya Dutta, one of the six committee members.
Dutta also warned that it will lead to a calamity bigger than Nepal earthquake.

"This would be a massive disaster and government should conduct a scientific study to calculate back water," he said.

The committee said that Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Maharashtra and Union governments have claimed in the Supreme Court that the rehabilitation of all affected families is now complete following which clearance to raise the height of the dam by 17 metres was given.
"Government lied before the court as thousands of families are still living in the villages in the submergence zone, that they have not been given land based compensation as per Supreme Court order and tribunal awards," Dutta said.