• Open Letter from Faculty, Scientists, Engineers and other professionals
• Executive Summary
• Facts and Fiction: Power Generation in Sardar Sarovar Project
• Why the emphasis on engineers and scientists?
• Press Release - Sardar Sarovar Engineers Slammed

We the undersigned science and engineering faculty, working professionals and graduates from universities across the world take a strong exception to the misuse of science for promoting human rights violation.  The builders of the Sardar Sarovar dam in Gujarat, India are advertising unrealizable benefits in terms of power and irrigation and luring their nation to increase the dam's height to 121.9 mts. despite the fact that 35,000 families are still living in the submergence zone without rehabilitation.

On April 2 2006 the Sardar Sarovar Project (SSP) engineers stated emphatically in a major newspaper that 3.4 crore units  of electricity valued at Rs. 7 crore  will be generated every day once the SSP dam's height is increased to 121.9 mts [Indian Express Article]. Annually this would amount to Rs. 2500 crores of electricity.

It can be easily demonstrated that this claim is false and involves gross misuse of data. It is not possible to generate electricity daily worth anywhere close to 3.4 crore units or Rs. 7 crores  from the SSP.  We have provided references from the Narmada Control Authority web site that includes a table of the expected electricity generation as projected by the "Central Electricity Authority" of India as well as of independent energy experts all of whom project substantially lesser power.   The facts regarding the power generation of SSP, and the basis for our stand are explained in the attached note "Facts and Fiction". For example, in 2004, the Chief Engineer (NVDA) claimed that M.P. state would get 370 MW of power, but in the next 20 months, the state received only an average of 85 MW. We are compelled to believe that the dam engineers know very well too that their statements are false, and this amounts to serious deception of the public. In a country like India that is short on energy, holding such a patently false oasis of hope is as cruel as saying that people are rehabilitated when they aren't.

It is very important to understand the burning context for this false propaganda. On March 15, 2005, India's Supreme Court took note of the lagging rehabilitation and ordered halt to further construction until each and every affected family was rehabilitated as per the norms of Narmada Tribunal Award. However, in March 2006, without meeting those norms, and despite objections from the Union Minister for Water Resources, the dam construction has resumed.

Hundreds of affected families are protesting in the national capital New Delhi facing callous arrests. Renowned social activist Medha Patkar and two affected people from the Narmada villages have started an indefinite fast (satyagraha) to uphold the truth. Today is Day Six of the fast, and the health of the activists including Medha Patkar is in peril.

While this Gandhian struggle for rights is on, we scientists,  engineers and working professionals are aghast that in a national newspaper in India, the dam engineers are highlighting false information to sway the public from supporting the struggle. It is extremely important in the 21st century as we try and become a developed nation, that we set high standards for both scientific achievement and human rights. The issue is not only one of the displaced people but also whether science can be misused without being challenged by other scientists. We will not allow this to happen.

Medha Patkar and others are on an indefinite fast, backing what they are saying with actual personal commitment. What personal commitment can we expect from the Sardar Sarovar engineers who have said that the SSP will generate Rs. 7 crore a day or Rs. 2500 crore of electricity a year??

We challenge them to sign a bond with the displaced families of the Narmada valley and citizens of India, that they will personally make up the loss of any amount that is short of Rs. 2500 crore of electricity generated each year. This money should be divided into three parts -- one part should go to the displaced families equally, the other to every citizen of India whom the engineers have sought to mislead and the final part should go to human rights movements of the world. We estimate the loss to be about Rs. 1500-2000 crores a year in the initial years before the canal network is completed and rising to Rs. 2300 crores a year once all the waters are diverted for irrigation purposes to the canals of the Narmada river valley projects.

Can the Sardar Sarovar engineers sign the bond? We challenge them to. Or they should take back the false promises, issue a public apology and stop construction of the dam. We would be delighted if they joined the fast of the affected people, whose purpose is to uphold the truth.

Click here to see who has signed the petition.

FAQ

Privacy Policy

Email addresses are required to verify the authenticity of the petition. They are kept strictly confidential and will not be disclosed to any third party.