[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index][Thread Index]

dam-l LS: Confirmation & Denial on German Utilities Withdrawal



from Frankfurter Rundschau (leading German daily), April 23, 1999

(translation of introduction by Heffa Schücking)

>Indian Farmers Call for Withdrawal of German Utilities
>
>Protest Against Dam on the Narmada Achieves a Victory / Bayernwerk and VEW
>Put Plans on Hold / Resettlement Questionable
>
>More than 500 villagers have gathered for a sit-in in the central Indian
>city of Bhopal. Seven women and men have entered into a hunger strike. The
>new protests are directed towards a long controversial energy project: the
>Maheshwar dam on the Narmada River. The demonstrators want to move their
>Government to halt construction and reconsider the project. They are being
>supported by many international environment and development organizations.
>They can now chalk up a victory: The German utilities VEW and Bayernwerk
>have put their investment on ice.
>
>Maheshwar is the first large hydroelectric dam in India that was to be
>financed by the private sector (planned costs $530 million). It is
>also the first dam in the country, in which German companies wanted to
>invest.
>
>The pre-contracts have become void and will not be extended, emphasizes
>Project Officer, Joern-Erik Mantz of the Munich-based Bayernwerk. While he
>still thinks that the usage of hydropower is important for the region, the
>Government must first fulfill some pre-conditions, before Bayernwerk could
>consider a renewed engagement in the project: Foremost, the resettlement
>plan must be implemented in a socially acceptable way, says Mantz, which
>means that the affected farmers must be duely compensated for the loss of
>their land. The cancellation of VEW sounds more definitive: "The project is
>no longer a topic for us": states a company speaker. However, he sees no
>connection with the protests: "We will again concentrate more on the German
>market".

>******************************************

 German Firms still Partner in Maheshwar Project

Indian Express, Delhi, April 25, 1999

ENS Econimic Bureau
Mumbai, April 24.
Shree Maheshwar Hydel Power Company Ltd today confirmed in a press
statement that the German partners, Bayernwerk and Vew Energie continue
to retain their interest in the project denying the allegations made by
the NBA that the German utilities have backed out from their commitment
owing to environmental violations.

A Bayernwerk official confirmed, "We are still interested in the
Maheshwar project since we think it is of great value to the State of
Madhya Pradesh as well  as to the western grid. We believe the project
will considerably help alleviating the power shortage in Madhya Pradesh,
especially the urgent need for the peaking power."

According to the promoters the Maheshwar Project has received clearances
from the highest authorities in the country, includive of environmental
clearance. The company has not violated any environmental guidelines and
the rehabilitation and resettlement work of the project is proceeding as
per schedule and to the satisfaction of the monitoring agencies as well
as the affected local population.