NARMADA BACHAO ANDOLANGroup 5:

Roll No. 46 to 56

INTRODUCTION 1961: Inauguration of Narmada Valley development project

1978: Government seeks World Bank’s assistance

Creation of 30 dams, 135 medium dams and 3000 small dams providing

water to almost 40 million people over 6 million hectares of land and

hydroelectric power for the region

Sardar Sarovar Project (“SSP”):

Irrigate 1.8 million hectares of land in Gujarat and 73,000 hectares of land in

Rajasthan + provision of water to 8,000 villages and 135 urban centers

Costs:

-Displacement of ten of thousands of individuals and considerable

environmental damage

-Submerge 37,000 hectares of land in the three states

1985: World Bank agrees to finance SSP

THE RESPONSE…. Local opponents, environmental activists, and professionals from the

academic, scientific, and cultural worlds formed an NGO

Late 1980s: Formation of Narmada Bachao Andolan (“NBA”)

1991: Creation of a Bank commission to independently review the project

Review’s conclusion: “Unless a project can be carried out in accordance

with existing norms of human rights—norms espoused and endorsed by the

Bank and many borrower countries—the project ought not to proceed”

1993: Creation of the World Bank Inspection Panel

NARMADA TRIBUNAL NARMADA WATER DISPUTES TRIBUNAL

Formed : On 6 Oct 1969As per India’s Interstate Water Disputes Act of

1956Under Chairman Justice V. Ramaswami

To Resolve:Water Sharing dispute.Rehab & Resettlement for those affected by Dams

– Indigenous people (Adivasis)

Contains Mandated Clauses such as:Land for Land (e.g. Gujrat. 5 acres of irrigable

land.)

NARMADA TRIBUNAL (CONTD.)NARMADA WATER DISPUTES TRIBUNAL

Shortcomings:Compensation to Legal Land Owners only.Focused on Interstate disputes not on Affected

CommunitiesPolitical deals limits alternatives to achieve

Objectives.Lacked appeal process by Ordinary courtNot enough land available for Redistribution.Settlers return to homes already submerged!

World Bank’s Involvement in the Project

• World Bank Stepped in after Narmada Tribunal’s final order.

• Bank Staffers worked in close coordination with Indian Officials to reconfigure the criticalities of project.

• Ist stage Project Preparation – 1973-1985 –Bank Ignored shortcomings in the approval process

• Transnationalization by Bank at multiple level

Indicated International approvals by including foreign actors.

Internationalized resistance to project

Bank’s international policy provided standard to judge the project performance

CONFLICT BETWEEN WORLD BANK’S POLICY & ITS SUPPORT OF DAM Policies developed in respect to establishing

environmental & human rights guidelines. Requisites for Bank’s policies on involuntary

settlement: Finalize resettlement plans prior to the loan’s

approval Credit agreements with the Indian states required

resettlement plans that conform to these policies No plans produced even after 6 years of loan

approval; No deadlines enforced by World Bank

Ecological consequences of the Sardar Sarovar Project were not addressed.

1980General

Resettlement Policy

1982Resettlememt

policy adressing tribal community

members

1990Involuntary settlement

1991Resettlement of

indigenous population

NARMADA BACHAO ANDOLAN (NBA) BEGINS…

A social movement protesting against the

implementation of the Sardar Sarovar Project(SSP) 

Chhatra Yuva Sangharsh Vahini - youth protest

group in Gujarat

Narmada Ghati Navnirman Samiti and

Dharangrastha Samiti merged to form NBA in 1989

Focussed on transparency and accountability

Government has ignored the stakeholders while

making their decision

NBA’S METHODS AND LEADERSHIP

Innovative strategies of resistance that operated simultaneously at the grassroots, national, and international level

Originally employed ‘‘Gandhian methods’’ and later announced a ‘‘noncooperation movement’’

Leadership of environmental champions like Medha Patkar – Visionary leader

NBA’s struggle against the Maheshwar Dam in MP- Narmada Shakti Dal

Social activist Baba Amte provided moral leadership - Cry O Beloved Narmada in 1989

DIRECT ACTIONS• Anti Dam NBA Rally by Baba Amte • At Harshud, involving 60,000

people

Sept 1989

• Massive NBA 5 day Dharna• Forced PM to reconsider the

projectMay 1990

• Dharna unto death, by Amte & Patkar

• NBA called off after 21daysJan 1991

• Readiness for Jal Samarpan in Manibeli

• Forced the govt. to review the project

Mid 1992

INTERNATIONAL INTERVENTIONS AND COALITION BUILDING

Multi-pronged strategy - Lori Udall, Environmental Defence Fund

Megha Patkar met with World Bank

Narmada International Action Committee—lobbied in several investing countries

International NGO ‘Friends of the Earth’ (Japanese branch) field visit - withdrawal of Japan’s Fund

June 1992 report by Human Rights Watch (at the time of The Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro)

The Environmental Defence Fund and the Bank Information Centre(both U.S.-based NGOs) led the formation of the Narmada International Human Rights Panel

Support of forty-two environmental and human rights NGOs representing sixteen countries.

THE WORLD BANK WITHDRAWS Morse Commission to re-examine the Project – June’91

to assess steps taken to resettle those who are affected

to assess the measures aimed at diminishing the project’s

environmental impact

Difficult situation for World Bank

Donor countries were unhappy with the developing image of the

Bank as a human rights violator

6 months to comply with certain environmental and rehabilitative

benchmarks.

The government of India announced cancelling the remaining $170

million Bank loan - what many regarded as an admission that the

government could not meet the new ‘‘benchmark

BROADER IMPACT OF NBA ON WORLD BANK

Forced WB to acknowledge Indian Govt.’s disregard for consequences.

NBA – An example before the world Social and Environmental impact of Bank projects Increasing awareness among middle class and rural

people An important ‘landmark’ in struggle for

‘accountability’ Independent commission to review bank funded projects Quasi-Independent panel to hear complaints about

violations Bank’s procedures opened for public, guidelines

rewritten and current projects re-examined. Environmental concerns – Into mainstream NGOs -Partners in development

THE WORLD BANK INSPECTION PANEL Setup in September 1993 acting as a

grievances redressal committee. To address the mismanagement and poor

governance, which galvanised World bank’s accountability failures.

Bank did not impose 78% of its negotiated loan conditions and one-third of the banks projects were unsatisfactory.

NGO’s and member countries who were sizeable lenders to bank raised criticisms.

Willi Wapenhans critiqued bank’s sweeping culture of approval.

THE WORLD BANK INSPECTION PANEL

Lack of independent oversight. Panel’s mandate was limited to examination

of the Bank’s compliance with its operational guidelines.

Less focus on the human right concerns. Narrow focus on procedural issues. 11 out of the 28 claims resulted in the positive

which includes:- Compensation for claimants Release of project information Improvement in resettlement packages for affected

people. Project suspension, cancellation or redesign Cessation of evictions.

NBA DEVELOPMENTS POST–BANK WITHDRAWAL

Developments After Bank’s Withdrawal

Withdrawal greatly reduced the international dimension

of the Narmada struggle.

NBA decided to pursue an additional avenue for change

—appeal to the Supreme Court of India.

Government’s continued construction raised the stakes

of the struggle for both sides - more and more villages

faced submergence, and the government’s commitment

to the Narmada Project deepened as the project

progressed

THE NBA AND THE SUPREME COURT NBA approached Supreme Court in 1994 The NBA’s lawyers began to push three novel legal

arguments: Project was an unconstitutional taking It violated the equal protection clause of the Indian

Constitution Government had infringed on their right to reside and

settle in any part of India.o In 1995 Supreme Court ordered a stay on further

construction but the courts orders were disregarded until the NBA march on Delhi in late 1995

o In 1999, Indian Supreme Court authorized construction to increase height of Dam to 85 meters

o Since, 2000 the construction happened uninterrupted under the surveillance of GRA ( Grievance Redressal Authorities) in each of the party states

THE PROJECT COMPLETION - ITS MERITS

Project got completed on December 31,2006

It is one of the largest water resources

project of India

Irrigation - 1.905 million Ha (1.8 million Ha. in

Gujarat benefitting 1 million farmers)

Drinking Water - 9633 villages and 131 towns

(29 million people)

THE PROJECT AND ITS DEMERITS

Unofficial estimate of around 320,000 people

got displaced

Their livelihood got deprived

Estimated Cost - Rs. 392.4 billion (8 billion

USD)

Thousands of acres of forest land destroyed

Acute water crisis in Saurashtra, Kutch and

North Gujarat even now

CONCLUSION

“NBA became symbolic of a global struggle for environmental and social justice, and a hope for people’s movements all over the world that are fighting for just, equitable,

and participatory development.”- NBA Partner