From: aparna@mipos2.intel.com (Aparna Krishnan)
Subject: NARMADA - ONE MORE WB TRAGEDY IN THE WORKS
Followup-To: alt.activism.d
Originator: rich@pencil.cs.missouri.edu
Organization: Intel Corporation, Santa Clara, CA
Date: Wed, 7 Oct 1992 20:50:34 GMT

NARMADA - ONE MORE WB TRAGEDY IN THE WORKS ...

The WB decision is to be taken on the 16th of OCT, not the 18th
			              ************
as I had mistakenly posted yesterday.

The havoc it will cause, if it continues "as-is" is ...
In brief, the points of contention have been listed at the end.

If you concur, PLEASE post the coupon enclosed below. Now 
pressure nees to be mounted on the WB. According to some
sources, the decision of the 8th was postponed  to get
some dissenting members of the executive board to agree to
the dam.

( IF anyone wants more details, please get in touch)

----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Mail to: Mr. Lewis T. Preston, President, The World Bank
	 1818 H. St., N.W., Washington, DC 20433

Dear Mr. Preston:

I call on the World Bank to immediately cease all participation in the
Sardar Sarovar Projects on the Narmada River in India. Thousands of tribal
and rural people have vowed to drown rather than abandon their homes.
The Bank's Independent Review has declared the project cannot be completed
responsibly, and yet the Bank has chosen to continue. Reverse course at once
or face a worldwide campaign to cease all governments' funding for your
International Development Association.

Name:

Address:
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Mail to: U.S. Campaign to Stop Sardar Sarovar,
	 c/o International Rivers Network
	 1847 Berkeley Way, Berkely, CA 94703
	[Tel: 510/848-1155 Fax: 510/848-1008]

[ ] 	I have mailed the coupon to the World Bank

[ ]	Please send me information about how I can help your campaign
	against the Sardar Sarovar Dam Project

Name:

Address:

---------------------------------------------------------------------------


( A Gist)
----------

 The problems with the Narmada project
 -------------------------------------

1. The independant commission sent my the WB (the Morse committe ) has 
   found that the project is "flawed, the resettlement an rehabitilation 
   are impossible under the prevailing circumstances and the environmental 
   impacts are not properly  considered."
   The report also says that WB does not have a comprehansive Environmental
   Impact Assesment of the project.

2. Narmada depends on the forests to collect rainwater which feeds it. But
   deforestation has begun already. And the project itself drowns 85,000
   hectares, while the afforestation grant is only for 3,000 hectares.

3. Studies show that as of now it will silt in 15 years, making it useless
   then.

4. No provision for wildlife relocation.

5. A large tribal population will have to be relocated. The tribal lifestyle
   is so closely integrated with the forest that detailed rehabitilation
   plans will have to be made. There is very little planning done on these
   lines so far.

6. And regarding whether all this is worth it, The Morse committee also says 
   that the irrigation benefits are exagerrated.
   
7. The effectiveness of irrigation projects in high rainfall areas are
   doubtful. 57% of the Narmada basin is clay soil with waterlogging
   problems. The existing dams have only worsened this.

8. The committe also states that the threat of waterborne diseases is not
   properly assessed. Malaria cases have risen drastically already.

9. There are alternatives to big dams -
	groundwater development - by developing catchment areas.
	mini and micro hydel projects - suitable for far off places, where
					transmission losses would be high
	minor irrigation schemes.
   WB aided projects typically look at large projects, and what could
   be most suited to a particular area is not considered.

10. Maybe it is time to consolidate now. 
   Deo, the former irrigation minister has suggested that the construction
   of major resorvoirs be resheduled. The building of minor and medium
   dams can begin at the source of the river and proceded downwards.
   Major dams can be built after the water and power resources upstream
   have been harnessed. Then the advantages of large and small dams
   will be utilized.

   The planning commission also suggested that the stress be on the better
   management of existing projects. In 1983, of 215 major and 916 medium
   irrigation projects taken up since 1951, 176 major and 446 medium
   projects were still to be completed.

11. The cost benefit calculation of dams need to be done, taking into
   account the forest loss in the terms of recurring loss of wood and 
   in terms of ecological problems and human  rehabitilation issues.