NEW DELHI: The Gujarat Government has raised the height of the Narmada dam to 121.92 metres and is preparing to install gates up to the next and final height of 138 metres.

This in spite of the Government telling the Supreme Court in July that the height would remain at 119 metres until rehabilitation and resettlement of the 35,000-odd displaced families was "completed" by December 31, as recommended by the Shunglu Oversight Group.

A scheduled hearing in October was deferred, as response on rehabilitation had not been received from the Gujarat, Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh Governments.

No review

Despite an assurance from the Prime Minister, no review of rehabilitation was done before raising the height. Nor did anyone from the rehabilitation and resettlement sub-group or the Narmada Control Authority (NCA) visit the valley to monitor the situation.

According to Narmada Bachao Andolan leader Medha Patkar, the foundation is being laid on the dam between 121.92 and 138 metres for installation of gates without rehabilitating dispossessed families, "in total violation of the Narmada [tribunal] award and Supreme Court orders."

Attempts by The Hindu to talk to Water Resources Secretary Gauri Chatterjee, who is also the NCA chairperson, failed as she was inaccessible to the media. Sources in the Ministry, however, did confirm that the dam height was raised as per the NCA's decision taken in March.

Asked about the status of rehabilitation, the sources said, "it has been completed." There was no response to the question when permission was given to install the gates.

Ms. Patkar demanded a CBI inquiry into the "on-paper" rehabilitation and the "huge corruption" in the Special Relief Package, which involves payment of cash compensation to Adivasis and others.

"There is a clear nexus among corrupt officials, middlemen, local committees and local lawyers posing as helping people get private land. People have been given the same land eight times over. Adult sons have to pay Rs. 20,000 to have their names included. Adivasis in Jhabua in Madhya Pradesh and inMaharashtra are not on record and people who have refused cash compensation are being ignored."

She said: "The local committee, set up by Madhya Pradesh, instead of monitoring, is forcing people to accept cash compensation. Rehabilitation sites are still not ready and wherever ready, do not even have enough residential plots. There are still 35,000 displaced families in Madhya Pradesh and 874 families in Maharashtra to be resettled."

"Centre looks the other way"

Even the Maharashtra Government was turning away people saying it had no land to rehabilitate them.

"If they do not have land, why are they raising the height of the dam further, causing larger submergence and loss of life and livelihoods? This is cruel and inhuman. The State Governments are confident of getting away with it because the Centre and the Supreme Court are looking the other away."

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