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DAM-L LS: Vyas to continue fighting anti-dam outfits (fwd)
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subject: LS: Vyas to continue fighting anti-dam outfits
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The Times of India, Ahmedabad, December 27, 2000
Jaynarayan to continue fighting anti-dam outfits
By Anil Pathak
AHMEDABAD: Though out of the government now
after his resignation as minister, Jaynarayan Vyas, has no
intention of leaving his favourite subject, the Sardar
Sarovar Project, by the way side. In fact, he intends to
remain more busy now, planning out strategies to counter
the propaganda of anti-dam organisations at national and
international levels in the coming days.
Vyas has on his hands, a major assignment of holding an
international meet of experts on the report of World
Commission on Big Dams, to be held in Ahmedabad
next month. With no more constraints that normally go
with the ministership, Vyas says he is now free from the
shackles of the officialdom and has decided to devote
full time to wage a war against the anti dam lobby.
In an exclusive interview, for the first time after quitting
the ministerial responsibilities, Vyas says "I am happy
that those constraints have gone and as a representative
of people, I shall now concentrate on the disinformation
drive launched by the anti-dam activists, whose sole aim
is to stall the Narmada project."
"I will carry out my work undaunted in coming days with
the help of friends and supporters of Narmada project."
While dismissing queries on the political front, he
quipped, "I believed in constructive work and that too
through positive methods".
Lashing Medha Patkar for her open criticism of the court
judgement, he resented the recent meeting of Narmada
Bachao movement leaders with President K R
Narayanan.
He, however, said it was certain that the NBA would try
to raise its voice against the apex court judgement at
various forums. The meeting of the NBA delegation with
the president is the beginning in this and the NBA will
now take up the matter with International Human Rights
Commission and Amnesty international, he said. The
pro-Narmada organisations will have to be very vigilant
against these forces as they could still damage the
project.
Vyas has a busy schedule attending several international
meetings, ranging from international water meet being
organised by Club of Tokyo in Egypt in September next
year, to a trip to Turkey where he has been invited by
the President of Turkey to participate in the seminar on
the Greater Antaloya project, along with four other
international experts. Vyas is leaving for Turkey on
January 1 to attend a discussion on the city projects
there. His next assignment is a meeting with the NRIs at
Dubai. While on his way home, he will proceed to
Melbourne for a 10 day vacation, before returning to
Ahmedabad.
Vyas has also been invited to participate in the
Stockholm Water symposium scheduled for four days
from August 13. He will submit his papers on various
subjects to be discussed at symposium, including "Water
security for the 21 century-Building bridges through
dialogue." The symposium is being organised by the
World Water Forum.
When asked about his leaving the portfolio at a crucial
juncture, when Supreme Court has allowed to raise the
height of the dam to 90 meters, Vyas said, "I am satisfied
with the fact that Narmada water would start flowing
from the canal and will cater to the drinking water
requirement of people in cities like Ahmedabad,
Vadodara and parts of Saurashtra through Pariyej
drinking water pipeline."
"I hope that I have done my job in the larger interests of
people of Gujarat and now handed over the baton. But I
will work for the project as expected by people."
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