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P E T I T I O N

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Sonia Gandhi: 91-11-23018651 (FAX)

We are extremely concerned about the current situation in the Narmada Valley. Nearly 35,000 families face the threat of submergence without rehabilitation, as the Narmada Control Authority has decided to raise the height of the Sardar Sarovar dam from 110.64 meters to 121.92 meters, in March 2006. Three activists, including Medha Patkar, have launched indefinite fast from March 29, 2006, to demand immediate stoppage of the work on the dam beyond 110.64 m.

Along with the people in the valley all of us are waiting for the government to make a clear commitment to ensure that the people affected by the Sardar Sarovar project are rehabilitated in accordance with the Narmada Water Disputes Tribunal Award and the Supreme Court order of October 2000 and March 2005, upholding their right to land based rehabilitation 6 months prior to submergence. The experience hitherto bears testimony to the fact that not even 10% of the total number of affected families could be rehabilitated over these years. That rehabilitation too is full with the problems of uncultivable and insufficient land, houses, water, fuel and fodder.

The Union Water Resource Ministry has prudently and conscientiously questioned the March 8 decision of the NCA to grant approval for increasing the height of Sardar Sarovar Project to 121 m, which would bring 220 villages in Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, and Gujarat under submergence. When so many thousands of families remain without rehabilitation, the state governments' attempts to silence the people's legitimate demands with so-called "cash compensation" amounts to corruption and circumvention of the law, violating the human rights of the people, disregarding the environment, and putting the peace and prosperity of our country into jeopardy.

Adivasis and farmers of the three states have come to Delhi to bring these issues to your urgent attention. We have noted that you have met with them and along with the Narmada families, all of us await your assurance that no family's home or land will be submerged prior to full rehabilitation according to law. We are deeply grieved to note that you have not yet taken steps to halt further construction until all aspects of rehabilitation are completed properly.

As you know a major part of the irrigation and power benefits of the project could be achieved at the present height and there is no reason to delay achieving this while the rehabilitation process goes on. Meanwhile neither the irrigation turbines nor the powerhouse is complete. It makes no sense to rush ahead to construct a higher dam wall and destroy the homes, fields and lives of lakhs of people while the current structure remains unutilised. The rights of the displaced people are not negotiable and it is imperative to check that when we develop we do not impoverish people.

For the sake of our country's moral fibre, our people's survival, and for the sake of effective and responsible development, we urge you to use your good offices to:

* Ensure a clear stand that there would be no raising of the height of the dam until and unless full land-based rehabilitation according to the provisions of the Narmada Water Disputes Tribunal (NWDT) and Supreme Court ruling is complete.
* Direct and empower the Rehabilitation Subgroup of the Narmada Control Authority to ensure that all families affected at the present height receive cultivable land with proper civic amenities. Land must be identified at least 1 year in advance for families affected at a further height and all utilities in place 6 months prior to submergence so that people have a fighting chance to rebuild their lives.
* Implement your assurance in November 2004 to send the Union Minister of Water Resources to assess the situation of the displacement and rehabilitation and take the people and their organisation, Narmada Bachao Andolan in full confidence.
* see that we first utilise what we have constructed and uphold the law and human rights in fact and not merely on paper, at every step of the project implementation process.
discuss the current situation and possible solutions with the affected people and independent experts who can offer viable alternatives to the impasse. Sincerely,

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