Thursday, August 24, 2006

Why I disagree with Medha Patkar

She has recently said that the flood situation has worsened due to the Sardar Sarovar Dam (Source The Hindu, weblink : http://www.hindu.com/2006/08/23/stories/2006082304441400.htm

OR http://snipurl.com/MedhaSaysFloodsMore ).

But I would like to tell her that she has not allowed the dam to be completed and that any dam is built such that it is fully operational and serves its purpose only when completed. It is not just a question of height. Also if the dam had been built to its full height the water could have been diverted to the Kutch region hence less water would have been released down the river’s natural course.

Now regarding the worsening of flood situation; Nobody can bring more water than nature has provided. So any water released from the dam will be like the river flowing if there was no dam. So there is no question of worsening except due to natural increase in rain in the catchment area. Another problem especially in India is that when a dam is built, during the dry season the river downstream is very narrow people come and build houses illegally in the natural drainage area of the river which would obviously flood in the rainy season. Why should the government bother about these people who disregard warnings and come and stay in the path of the river?

Also when the dam’s construction began there were 5000 families to be rehabilitated now there are 30,000 families! Why should the government compensate for those extra families? The Narmada Bachao Andholan should compensate for them.

Remember that when the Three Gorges Dam in China will be complete it will provide 18000MW of electricity equivalent to 10% of China’s electricity requirements!

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