NBA
Tuesday, April 04, 2006
The Narmada Bachao Andola (known as the NBA, or the Save the Narmada Movement) is India's most celebrated environmental campaign, but seemed to have faded from the national consciousness until the activist began her most Indian form of protest.
Now NBA in this part of the world means ..mmm something but out there its not just 48 minutes of sruggle. It accompanies protests and hunger strikes. A week long hunger strike by India's most famous environmental activist,Mehda Patkar, has helped reignite this issue which is about two-decades-old now. She says that if the dam's height is raised, more than 35,000 families, most of them impoverished tribal farmers, could have their homes and fields submerged when the monsoon rains arrive in June and are still waiting to be resettled.
Unless they take a decision to stop killing the Narmada Valley by raising the height of the dam I will not end the fast she whispered to Reuters as a woman supporter fanned her face. Arundhati Roy, the Booker-prize-winning author and activist , jumped in saying that Big dams are an industry based on lies and false promises... huh ?? Now I aint got no clue what she means...But authorities have told residents that most of their land will be submerged if the water in the dam fills to even 110 metres, and the rest will be left marooned by the rising water .. Gee Thanks !! So much for information ....
Posted by Rajesh @ 10:48 AM; PERMALINK,
