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dam-l LS: Gujarat State Gov't to boycott WCD visit
Saturday, August 29, 1998
THE HINDU
Gujarat to boycott world panel visit
By Our Special Correspondent
GANDHINAGAR, Aug. 28.
The Gujarat Government has decided to boycott the proceedings of the
World Commission on Dams during its visit to India from September 19 to 22
to study the merits and demerits of major dams in the country.
The Minister for Narmada Affairs, Mr Jaynarayan Vyas, in a letter to the
Union Government, today made the State Government's stand clear on the
visit of the Commission, which Gujarat viewed as a fresh move to create
hindrance in the implementation of the much- delayed Narmada dam project.
According to the State Government, at least half of the 12- member
Commission headed by the South African Water Resources Minister, Mr. Aslam
Kader, were known critics of the Narmada dam and their visit to the
country would in no way help the cause of the Sardar Sarovar dam. The
leader of the Narmada Bachao Andolan, which was opposing the construction
of the Narmada dam tooth and nail, was also a member of the Commission.
Mr. Vyas said the very fact that the Commission had decided to hold
discussions and meet delegations for two days in Delhi and another two
days in Bhopal, gave an indication of its determination to stall the
Narmada dam. He said since the Sardar Sarovar currently was the biggest dam
project under implementation in the country, it should have made it a
point to visit the dam site in the state to realise the points of view of
Gujarat in this regard.
A similar visit at the instance of the World Bank by another international
commission headed by Dr. James Morse in the early Nineties had put the
entire dam project in jeopardy. The Morse Commission, going beyond its
terms and reference, made severe critical remarks about the implementation
of the project, raising afresh the question of human rights of the tribals
to be displaced under the project.
Following the report, the World Bank threatened to suspend financial
assistance to the project, but the then Chief Minister, Mr. Chimanbhai
Patel, took an unprecedented step withdrawing the State Government's
request for loan even before the World Bank could cancel the loan of about
Rs. 500 crores which then was in the pipeline.
==============================================
Susanne Wong
International Rivers Network
1847 Berkeley Way, Berkeley, CA 94703 USA
Tel: 1.510.848.1155 ext 316 email: swong@irn.org
Fax: 1.510.848.1008 web: www.irn.org