Due to the raised height of the Sardar Sarovar dam upto 110m, the agricultural land of about 1500 families will be submerged this year as the monsoon sets in. On 8th of May, 2004 over 200 Adivasi families who are threatened by imminent submergence launched a Passive Resistance for Land Rights. On 15th of May 2004, the Maharashtra Government offered land to the displaced Adivasis but the land is uncultivable. The Adivasis struggle is still going on and they want the Government to provide cultivable land to resettle 1500 families in Maharashtra before the onset of monsoons. As agriculture is their major source of livelihood, Adivasis are threatened by hunger and malnutrition.
Profile
The Narmada Valley Development project involves the construction of 30 large, 135 medium and 3,000 small dams on the river Narmada and its tributaries. The Sardar Sarovar Project involves the construction of the largest of the dams and is being implemented by the governments of Gujarat, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan. As a result of the project, villages are being submerged and people are displaced.
On 8th of May 2004, 200 Adivasi families from 9 villages in Nandurbar district launched a passive resistance for land rights, following the Maharashtra government’s failure to complete the resettlement and rehabilitation of villagers as promised. The Narmada Control Authorities (NCA) had decided to raise the height of the Sardar Sarovar dam to 110 m.
Since the height of the dam is increased, the communities are threatened with flooding by the rising water of the Sardar Sarovar dam. As the monsoon approaches, and with the danger of submergence and destitution, the Adivasis of Narmada are left with no option . They demand from the government to come forward with cultivable land before the onset of the monsoons to resettle the 1,500 families who will be affected. The Maharashtra government, on May 15 had offered land at Kukaval village, but this land is not fertile to be cultivable.
The Supreme Court of India’s judgement and the decisions of the Narmada Tribunal have stipulated that people affected by the Sardar Sarovar project should be rehabilitated six months before the impending submergence. Displacement from land and livelihood violates the Adivasis human right to feed themselves. As these people do not have alternatives than land to ensure their livelihood, they are severely threatened by hunger and malnutrition.
FIAN Mandate
India is a state party to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights and is duty bound under international law to respect and protect the right to feed oneself.
The Government of Maharashtra must therefore take all necessary measures to ensure proper rehabilitation according to the recent judgement of the Supreme Court. Forced eviction of these villagers without providing adequate, just and fair alternative land and denial of rehabilitation and compensation violates the Adivasis right to feed themselves.
Call to Action
International action is urgently needed to urge the Government of Maharashtra for the resettlement of the 1500 families on arable land. Forced evictions of the families from their land without providing just alternatives is a clear violation of their right to feed themselves. Please write polite letters to the Chief Minister of Maharashtra with a copy to the Prime Minister of India, requesting them to provide proper resettlement for the Adivasis, including cultivable agricultural land.
URGENT ACTION 0415HIND
Original Letter:
Dear Sir,
Recently I heard news about the passive resistance for land rights launched by the Adivasi families from nine villages in Nandurbar district on the banks of the Narmada river. The Adivasis launched the Satyagraha in response to a decision by the Narmada Control Authorities (NCA) to raise the height of the Sardar Sarovar dam to 110 m. The height of the dam is being increased without providing rehabilitation to the people affected.
The communities are threatened with flooding by the rising water of the Sardar Sarovar dam. They demand from the government to come forward with cultivable land to resettle more than 1,500 families before the onset of the monsoons. The Maharashtra government had offered land at Kukaval village on May 15, 2004, but this land is not cultivable.
India is a state party to the International Covenant on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights and therefore duty bound to respect the right to adequate food for all affected people. As the people are evicted from their lands and displaced without fair and just relocation, their right to feed themselves is being violated. As a person working for the implementation of the right to food, I would like to ask you to:
- Ensure that immediate steps are taken to provide fair and just relocation to Sardar Sarovar project-affected people before the increase in dam height and the onset of the monsoon.
- Make sure that the land given as compensation is cultivable.
I would like to thank you for your attention and kindly keep me informed about the action you intend to take on this matter.
Sincerely,
