GANGA 57th Issue | Page 8

under reservoir and 2.5 ha under canals.

people and after representations to the

Revenue land lost under canals is not

NVDA, a government order of 30th January

mentioned in the reports but given the canal

stopped the work on the spillway section of

lengths, it could well be above 200 ha.

the dam. In 2002 again the government has

In 1997, when the ousters were given

decided to carry on the construction. The

eviction notices, they organized themselves

people of the Maan project are a have

under the aegis of the Narmada Bachao

resolved to stop the Project through non-

Andolan and raised their voices. After a long

violent but militant struggle.

struggle, in April/May 1999, the Madhya

In reality, relief and rehabilitation (R&R) at

Pradesh government agreed to constitute a

Maan has the potential to be a model for

committee for the rehabilitation of the

other such exercises since the R&R here is a

affected people. This committee which was

relatively small project. The NBA believes

constituted under the chairmanship of the

that "mutually agreeable solutions were

Narmada Minister of Madhya Pradesh

turned down by the politician-bureaucrat

comprised of the affected people, elected

lobby, for whom the rightful rehabilitation

representatives, government officials and

of the dam ousters would have set a

two members of the Narmada Bachao

precedence of justice in the case of the other

Andolan. The government order of 2nd

dams." Another curious factor is that the

May, 1999 that constituted this committee

government is shying away from a process

clearly stated that no construction work on

of public dialogue and feedback. In April, a

the dam would be allowed to be carried out

public hearing was held by the Indian

that would endanger any affected person

People's Tribunal in Dhar in order to record

whose

been

public grievances about the Maan dam. The

completed. But despite this clear order, from

panel was headed by a retired High Court

October 2000 onwards, the state government

Judge. The State government was invited to

began work on the spillway section of the

be a part of the proceedings, but it refused to

dam, thus creating a situation of imminent

join in.

rehabilitation

had

not

submergence of hundreds of tribal families
who are yet to be rehabilitated.

Editor- Sujit Choudhury, Published by

In 2002 affected tribals then took out a

IRBMS

protest rally demanding immediate stoppage

Management Society)

of work and rehabilitation of the affected

(Cover picture from www.narmada.org Site )

(©

Integrated

River

Basin

8

Integrated River Basin Management Society