From: Initiative India <initiativeindia@gmail.com>
Date: Mon, May 24, 2010 at 5:12 PM
Subject: [initiative-india] Planning Commission's clearance to SSP: Incomplete & Unjustifiable
To:
25th May, 2010
Planning Commission's clearance to SSP: Incomplete & Unjustifiable
Clearing 39,240 crores for SSP with 10% benefits is national loss
Neglecting Reports of CAG & MoEF shall cost Gujarat dearly
After having spent Rs. 30,000 crores on the gigantic Sardar Sarovar Project, the Planning Commission, taking forward the investment clearance of Rs. 6,406 accorded to the SSP in 1988, granted a revised investment clearance for the Project at Rs. 39,240 crores, this past week. By getting the decks cleared by the Planning Commission, Gujarat's Chief Minister may have moved a step forward in his political ambition to push the Project, but this questionable clearance has been accorded by ignoring not just the legal and financial aspects of the Project but also the overall reality, the present status and the totally unsatisfactory compliance of rehabilitation and environmental safeguard measures.
Without taking into the consideration the overall cost-benefit scenario of the Project today, the revised clearance is merely an attempt to push the dam ahead through incomplete assessment and adhoc basis. Once again, political expediency and vested interest have tried to bypass and overtake the need and real interest of the people and nature in the Narmada valley as also the people of Gujarat. NBA would like to warn that such an illegal way of clearing financial investment without ensuing the rightful rehabilitation to a few lakh dam-affected people and complying with all the environmental protective measures, with violation of the earlier stipulated conditions in the Planning Commission's clearance (1988) and human rights violations will not only lead to the people of Gujarat and Narmada valley sufer, but the whole country pay the cost.
It is well-known by now that the original cost-benefit of SSP was carried out presuming Rs. 4,200 crores as the project cost. The Planning Commission had given the investment clearance in 1988 at Rs. 6406 cores. This was the basis for assessment of the Project as economically and financially viable, while today the Planning Commission has, itself disowned the said basis and adopted an ill-based approach.
This is clear from the fact that, on the one hand the Planning Commission has calculated the present cost of the Project to be Rs. 45, 000 crores and the final cost to be Rs. 70,000 crores. While on the other hand, the Commission has approved Rs. 39,240 crores only knowing well that Rs. 30,000 crores are already spent to the Project. It is shocking to see how the apex planning body in the country does not think it necessary to review the Project, even after the cost, if multiplied and the attainment of benefits is already affected. It appears that the rulers have conspired not only to impress the people of Gujarat and upcoming investors but have also tried to over-estimate the benefits and continue to underestimate the costs. The question is; how can the Planning Commission grant any investment clearance without undertaking a through analysis of the economy viability of the giant Project?
As regards the environmental issues, since the Command Area Development Plan by Gujarat is not even completed for the first phase of SSP command area, nor is it implemented, the Environmental Sub-Group of Narmada Control Authority (ESG–NCA) has forbidden Gujarat from undertaking any irrigation from SSP waters since January 2005. This decision is still applicable and the MoEF appointed Dr. Devender Pandey Committee through its Report of February 2010 once again and recommend no further irrigation till the irrigation measures including CAD plans and actions are in place.
Planning Commission seems to have totally ignored all these facts. It is worth noting that the Planning Commission in its own investment clearance of 1998 has stated that:
"Past experience of irrigation projects have revealed the main branch of canals are completed upto the end but, in absence of micro-level networks to take irrigation water upto outlet, corresponding irrigation benefits do not start accruing in spite of huge financial investment made. To avoid this, the State should draw up an implementation schedule, segmentwise, for completion of canal network in such a way that a segment of the canal network, taken up from the head reaches, is completed in all respects so as to make the irrigation waters available, for the designed potential of that segment, upto the outlet in that particular segment".
The clearance further states that:
"The State should draw up a detailed time schedule for completion within five years the investigation, detailed survey, planning and working out the detailed cost estimates for micro-level network system for the balance area of the total command of this project".
Without fulfillment of the above directives and without any action being initiated by the Planning Commission all these years, how far is it justifiable that the Commission gives a prompt approval, merely on the basis of Gujarat's request?
Moreover, it is also striking that the Comptroller and Auditor General of India in its Report (May 2010) placed before the Lok Sabha in this very month has concluded that the grant of Rs. 6,000 crores already made to SSP under the Accelerated Irrigation Benefit Programme (AIBP) is not being fully and appropriately utilized by the Govt. of Gujarat and SSNNL. The situation in Gujarat till date is that the canal network upto micro level is not being constructed for reasons, including that the farmers of Gujarat not willing to part away with 35,000 – 40,000 hectares of their land for the canals. This is because CAD plans itself are not yet approved and drainage arrangements not in place, which has already resulted in various problems such as water logging and salinization.
It is a fact that more than 2 lakh people are still residing in the small and large village communities in the hilly and plain areas falling in the submergence of Sardar Sarovar. While rehabilitation with agricultural land not made available, the possibility of legally mandatory rehabilitation is much distant. The Rehabilitation Sub Group and Environment Sub-Group led by the Ministry of Social Justice and Ministry of Environment have, therefore, not granted permission to raise the height of the dam. In fact the time has come for the MoEF to issue a stop-work notice to the SSP when violations of the conditions on the environmental clearance as also the Environmental Protection Act are more than obvious.
Thus, while the Planning Commission has opened up the Project to proceed further, the dam itself is proved to be full of flaws and faults. NBA would like to warn the Planning Commission and demand that for development without destruction of land and attainment of the planned benefits, including distributive justice to all, and also the people of Kutch and Saurashtra in Gujarat, the recently granted clearance must be reviewed ad revised.
Medha Patkar Bhagirath Kavche Yogini Khanolkar Kailash Awasya
Ph: 09179148973 / 09423965153 / 07290-222464
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Palash Biswas
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