The Sardar Sarovar Dam in Gujarat State is one of the biggest dams on Narmada river. The authorities have failed to fulfil court orders for fair compensation to all people whose lives and livelihoods are affected by the dam. 40,000 families still live within the flood zone, with the gates expected to close in the coming weeks. The government is preparing to use force to evict all remaining residents, even if they have nowhere to go.
Medha Patkar and the social movement Narmada Bachao Andolan (NBA) received the Right Livelihood Award in 1991 “…for their inspired opposition to the disastrous Narmada Valley dams project and their promotion of alternatives designed to benefit the poor and the environment”.
NBA began in 1985 consisting of adivasis, farmers, fish workers, labourers and others in the Narmada valley along with the intellectuals including environmentalists, human rights activists, Scientists, academicians, artists who stand for just and sustainable development. Sardar Sarovar Dam in Gujarat is one of the biggest dams on Narmada where the non-violent people’s struggle has questioned social and environmental costs, undemocratic planning and unjust distribution of benefits. The struggle is still on in the Sardar Sarovar affeced areas and also other large and medium dams on Narmada and its tributaries. It has led to thousands of project affected families receiving land based rehabilitation and continues to fight against submergence and displacement without rehabilitation of more than 40,000 families residing in these submergence area of Sardar Sarovar till date. Many of its claims and critique on economic, social and environmental aspects of Sardar Sarovar and Narmada valley development project stand vindicated today.
