Can Gujarat quench the great thirst?

In the last meeting held in February of the Narmada Control Authority (NCA) clearance could not be given for 110.64 metres. Maharashtra said it still had 177 families to resettle.

On the eve of the NCA meeting, The Sunday Express travelled to three states — Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra — to see the task ahead and the mismatch between paper promises and ground realities.

In Gujarat, rehab time

It was like tasting blood when for the first time, in 2003, the Narmada’s waters flowed into the main canal right upto Saurashtra. Without the dam reaching a height of 110 metres, the water would not have flowed into the canal.

In its desperation, the Gujarat government managed to convince Madhya Pradesh to allow it to build an irrigation bypass tunnel — an outlet at the bottom of the reservoir — that would enable the water to flow even at the height of 95 metres. Massive pumps were installed to physically lift the water from the reservoir into the main canal.

Against a backdrop where the dam has become an obsession with the government and the most obvious ‘‘feel good’’ sight, it is ready to do anything for this height increase. After all, 110 metres translates into water travelling from the Sardar Sarovar at one end of the state right up to parched Kutch and Saurashtra at the Rajasthan border. It also means the two powerhouses at the base of the dam becoming operational.

The Gujarat government has been pressurising, cajoling and even assisting the other states to get on with their rehabilitation, so that permission for the height increase can come.‘‘We can rehabilitate the oustees from other states, give them our liberal package and even pay cash to the other two states if they are falling short,’’ said M S. Dagaur, rehabilitation incharge for Gujarat.

The Gujarat government claims to have finished R&R (relief and rehabilitation) work in all 19 villages to be affected by the time the dam reaches its full height of 138 metres. Even the NBA concedes that compared to other states Gujarat has done a fairly decent job.

YET in its desperation, the state government’s intolerance reaches newer heights. Chief Secretary P.K. Lahiri flares up at the mere mention of Medha Patkar and says on record that, ‘‘She will not be allowed to enter the state.’’. He adds stronger words, ‘‘There are only two kinds of people — Naxalites and the NBA — who are exempt from disclosing their source of income.’’

The Gujarat government even detained oustees with grievances as they attempted walking towards a press party to put forward their point of view last fortnight. It is clear that whatever the decision of the NCA, Gujarat will be the one with crossed fingers.

Maharashtra’s calculus

IN the February meeting of the NCA, the Maharashtra government had the honesty to admit that it had not been able to rehabilitate 177 families from 33 villages. Informally, it has also said the number could rise to nearly 500 families as several ‘‘undeclared villagers’’ have to still be taken into account, especially in Shahada and Taloda talukas.

Maharashtra’s minister of state for rehabilitation and revenue, Ramraje Nimbalkar, says, ‘‘Yes I agree that the families to be resettled is now much more than the original surveyed figure of 177. It is close to 500 affected families; but we will eventually rehabilitate them as well. Soon.’’

Ask him how soon and a new deadline emerges: ‘‘In the next four months.’’

This in spite of three surveys carried out between 1988 to 1994, in the submergence zone, to find out how many people were to be rehabilitated.

State secretary of R&R, Krishna S. Vatsa, argues the government should get all the flak, ‘‘Sometimes the villagers were not there when the surveyors visited them. We have also had reports of opposition faced by our officials while carrying out the task.’’

A visit to some of the villages in the submergence zone confirms that not all names have been listed for rehab. Batu Narbaji, 85, of Bharad village in Akrani taluka has managed to get land for rehab in Akalkuan. However, his son and son’s family have not been listed.

Fisherman Moila Rovendu Pavra is another ‘‘unlisted’’ casualty. ‘‘Just a few days back I received a government notice stating that I prove my date of birth and land holdings. I am totally illiterate, so how do I go about proving that I reside in Bharad?’’ asks Pavra.

In MP, it’s land for cash

Officials in Madhya Pradesh claim they have ‘‘substantially’’ achieved rehabilitation. The situation is messier than what it appears on the neat columns of the thick sheaf of papers the rehabilitation supervisor in Indore presents.

‘‘We have done substantial and rational completion of rehabilitation. And it is not as if I have not listed the problems in my report. It is upto the NCA to see if it means effective rehabilitation or not,’’ said Rajnish Vaishya, commissioner, Narmada Valley Development Agency.

These are some of the problems evident from a tour of Nimad area — on the two banks of the Narmada, 150 km from Indore — and the tribal belt of Alirajpur.