M A I L B A G

Follow SC order on Narmada

The Supreme Court has rightly directed the Centre to complete the Sardar Sarovar dam. In fact, the Narmada Control Authority took this decision after much deliberations over the possibility of increasing the dam’s height and rehabilitating the village communities in surrounding areas.

The real issue of relocating the people in new areas and taking care of their social infrastructure like health, education, sanitation, water supply can be treated through a coordinated effort. Gujarat, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra must show maturity. This is the right time for the Centre and the states to prove that they respect the spirit of cooperative federalism in conformity with the constitutional principles.

The dam is for development. Change of dam’s height, settlement patterns of the local people in the Narmada basin must be accompanied by a change in attitude. Politics and greed for cheap recognition must not hinder the development process in the country.

VIKRAM JEET DUGGAL, (Asst Commandant, CISF), Abohar (Ferozepur)

II

I do not support the Narmada Dam because of the following reasons. One, large dams are not cost effective. Multiple smaller dams at different locations are much more cost effective in delivering water and power where required.

Two, the government has not kept its promise of rehabilitating the displaced people. It is almost an impossible task. Hence, the dam height should not be raised further. Three, large areas of forests will be further wiped out if the dam work is not stopped.

Four, man cannot recreate this biodiversity. Birds and animals killed or displaced cannot stage dharnas in New Delhi. So their plight is unknown. And finally, large dams (and similar big projects) help politicians and contractors  line their pockets.

SHISHIR GOENKA, Chandigarh

III

Water is for the betterment of the humanity, not for fighting. On the one hand, the Narmada dam will provide water to lakhs of people. On the other, an increase in its height will submerge many villages. The matter should be resolved within the framework of the Supreme Court ruling that work on the dam should not stop and proper rehabilitation of the victims is a must.

The dam is necessary because it will help the people. At the same time, the government must provide alternative land and employment to those affected by the dam.

VIPAN KUMAR, Amritsar

IV

G.S. Bhargava’s article, “Dam politics is pointless” reflects merely on the farfetched benefits of dams and very little on rehabilitation. It is claimed that crores of people would be benefited but these people do not include the marginalised, uprooted from their land.

By quoting the example of Nagarjuna Sagar in Andhra Pradesh as evidence to justify his argument, the writer tries to equate “Buddhist relics” with the rehabilitation of people. If historical relics are national treasures, so are the common people who, if displaced, need to be rehabilitated according to norms.

The lack of protest does not mean that there was no agitation earlier; rather there was no one to give it a voice. In recent years, people protest against the construction of even Pong Dam in Himachal Pradesh.

YOGESH SNEHI,  Abohar (Ferozepur)

V

What is the rationale behind Congress leader Ahmed Patel’s letter to Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi to help raise the height of the Narmada dam to 121 meters soon? There seems to be a contradiction between Union Water Resources Minister Saifuddin Soz’s findings on rehabilitation and the new three-member committee’s terms of reference. While the former found hundreds of families without rehabilitation (who will be displaced at 110 meters), the latter has a broader jurisdiction (after the height is raised to 121 meters).

The Supreme Court is seized of the question whether oustees up to the height of 110 meters have been rehabilitated or not. It is only after the Supreme Court’s green signal that the height of the dam can be increased further.

MADHAV RAJ, New Delhi

Shatabdi food must improve I travel by the Shatabdi Express at least twice a month from Chandigarh to New Delhi and back. I agree that the food served in these trains is quite unsavoury. At times, it is not well baked, stale and not served hot. Even tea is not served in proper crockery. If profit is the sole aim of the Indian Railways Catering and Tourism Corporation — this rail PSU has already earned Rs 40 crore this year as license fee from the new contracts — it should have ‘Please bear with us’ as its motto. S.P. SINGH, Chandigarh

A girl’s dream

The photograph of a slum girl watching a super model during a fashion show (April 18) was excellent. It vividly depicts the dream of a little girl — coming out of her poverty shell, moving ahead and getting noticed rather than noticing. Keep it up!

PRATIBHA SAINI, Ropar