NEWS - Villagers in India Face Dea

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Subject: NEWS -  Villagers in India Face Death at this Moment

Title: Villagers in India Face Death at this Moment
Date: 21-SEP-1999
Author: Sanjay Sangvai, for NBA <medhap@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Source: Jamie Kneen <jkneen@xxxxxxx>
Style: News report
Reference: none

About fifteen villagers and activists have been standing in waist deep
waters confronting the submergence waters of the controversial  of the
Sardar Sarovar Project (SSP) in Domkhedi village ( eh. Akrani, Dist,
Nandurbar, Maharashtra) for more than 24 hours.  Over 450 villagers are
gathered in the village to protest against the unjust submergence and
displacement. This comes closely on the heels of the police action
against
125 men and women  who were were detained by Maharashtra Police along
with the main activists, Ranya Padvi , Devrambhai Kanera and Medha
Patkar at Pipalchop village in the Narmada valley on Saturday ( 18th)
evening. All of them were released on Sunday evening( 19th). The
detained villagers, along with Medha, resorted to fasting in protest of
the callous disregard and dishonesty towards people's protest. They
demanded that the detained people be released and taken back to the
people in Domkhedi and Piplachop, Sikka, facing the submergence. The
people are still daring the increasing waters of the dam.

In other villages also, the villagers and activists are determined to
face the submergence, which is imminent at any moment. By the afternoon,
the dam waters were barely a feet below the satyagraha house in Sikka,
where
about 70 villagers are ready to face submergence. Over 90 villagers and
activists are stationed in Jalsindhi (M.P.), where the waters are one
and a half meters below the satyagraha house. The people are resolved to
face the unjust submergence which has been imposed on them by the
callous and anti-people policies of the ruling classes.

In Dhadgaon, the detained satyagrahis, including Medha Patkar and others
launched a fast in protest of this dishonesty and chicanery on the part
of Maharashtra government. They held dharna in front of Dhdgaon police
station and demanded that they be released and taken back to the
strugling people in Domkhedi and other villages. They were taken into
police custody when they were in 2-3 feet deep water facing the
submergence. The police broke open the thatched satyagraha house,
scuffling and dragging the protestors, causing minor injuries.

The backwater level at damsite was 97.85 on Sunday morning but came down
slightly a 97.68 meters in the evening.valley.

Today police released  69 villagers and activists stationed in
Piplachop, who were taken into custody on Friday (17th).  They could not
find main activists like, Medha Patkar, as she became untracable at the
time of the police action.  She, along with the other satyagrahi
villagers, was not found by the police for over 24 hours.

The swirling waters are  threatening the residence of the veteran Baba
Amte, though they have not reached upto the danger level, in village
Kasaravad in M.P.. According to the Commissioner of Indore region, the
water level on Saturday (18th) afternoon at Badwani (Rajghat), was
125.250 meters, while the Baba's house was at the elevation of 129
meters. However, the water level was at 126.75 at noon  on
Saturdayaccording to the official measurement at Rajghat.

The waters started rising alarmingly on Wednesday (15th) due to a heavy,
continuous, unprecedented downpour in Hoshangabad and Jabalpur regions.
This was compounded by the opening of the gates of the Bargi, Tawa and
Barna in Madhya Pradesh.  There have been torrential rains in and around
Jabalpur and Hoshangabad, inundating number of villages.  As a result,
all the 21 gates of Bargi dam were opened, with 5,00,000 cusecs of water
being released. From Tawa dam, 100,000 cusecs, and from Barna, 10,000
cusecs of water are being released. This has increased the water level
tremendously, will further exacerbate the situation, threatening
Jalsindhi and other villages in Alirajpur tehsil in M.P. In 1994, with
similar torrential rains, the backwaters have gone back as far as the
villages in Nimad plains in M.P.

The people protesting against the unjust submergence and displacement in
Jalsndhi and Domkhedi had reiterated their resolve not to move out even
if they be submerged. This time, the satyagrahis dispersed throughout
villages affected by the submergence. They were in Domkhedi, Jalsindhi,
as well as in Pipalchop,  Bharad, Sikka and other villages.

The people in he Narmada valley have undertaken the Satyagraha against
the unjust increase in the height of the SSP by 5 meters and consequent
submergence of villages and forcible displacement of the people. The
main activists, like Medha Patkar and others, have questioned the very
propriety of the permission granted by the court for such an increase,
in view of the abysmal condition of the rehabilitation and with other
basic issues remaining unanswered. They have declared that they would
face the submergence waters and also would commit " Jal Samarpan" if the
height of the dam is increased further without a decision being made
about the basic issues through a new tribunal and people's
participation. The people dared the first bout of submergence on 10-11
August, when about 40 people were in the waist deep submergence water
for over 15 hours.

The people have resolved to continue the tenacious battle against the
dam and forcible submergence anddisplacement. All the released people
went back to the satyagraha villages.

Sanjay Sangvai
for NBA


For more information, contact:

(Bombay Contact : 5574895)
Sanjay Sangvai <medhap@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>

NARMADA BACHAO ANDOLAN
B-13, Shivam Flats, Ellora Park, Baroda-390007
( Mumbai Contacts: Perveen Jehangir- 2184779; Sanjay M.G.-5369724)