Subscribe
A group of 85 organisations have raised alarm over the precarious situation in the downstream villages along the flow of Sardar Sarovar Dam (SSD) in Gujarat's Narmada district.
The activists urge the authorities to release excess water in the dam’s reservoir as they fear that the high water level in the reservoir would eventually submerge villages and displace people.
“Noting the fact that thousands of families are threatened by the rapid rise of backwaters in the Narmada Valley, the Vikalp Sangam General Assembly [VSGA] consisting of over 85 organisations, movements and networks, demands that the central and Gujarat state governments, immediately open more gates of the Sardar Sarovar Project (SSP) dam in an orderly way,” a press statement issued by VSGA mentioned on September 16.
The statement demanded the Narmada Control Authority should reduce the high water levels in the reservoir to save the lives and property of the villagers downstream.
Highlighting the intensity of the looming crisis, the VSGA explained that after heavy rainfall in the upstream areas of the Narmada river, the upstream dams like Indira Sagar and Omkareshswar are releasing large volumes of water downstream.
“Despite this, the downstream Sardar Sarovar Project dam has only opened a few gates, inadequate to release the excess water levels. As reported on the night of September 14, over 438,800 cusecs of water were flowing into the reservoir, while the few gates opened were discharging only around 348,600 cusecs, thus causing water levels to quickly rise past 136.6 metres,” it explained.
“We demand and urge that immediate action be taken to open more gates of the SSP to bring water levels below 135 metres at the least. Simultaneously, dialogues should be opened with affected people's representatives, to come to a resolution meeting the minimum standards of justice,” the statement added.
According to the press statement, thousands of families, houses, schools, places of worship, clinics, farms are facing the threat of submergence without warning, as they were falsely declared 'not-affected', by showing the Back Water Level (BWL) markings lower than actual.
“This is in complete violation of the orders of the Supreme Court and the Narmada Tribunal, that persons can only be involuntarily displaced six months after their proper compensation and rehabilitation,” it claimed.
It also pointed out that almost 16,000 families that are facing submergence, are yet to be compensated and rehabilitated
“This is a repeat of last year, when the Prime Minister of the country ‘celebrated his birthday’ on September 17, 2023, by getting the SSP reservoir full to nearly 139 metres. Affected villages still carry the ghostly scars of that destruction,” it noted.