Twice, Global Response issued Emergency Actions calling on the Indian government to guarantee the safety of non-violent protesters at the Maheshwar Dam site. If this guarantee is approved by the German export credit agency, Hermes, it will signal other investors and companies to get involved. The Major Impacts of Dams - Reservoir floods farmland, forests, wetlands and riparian habitat, and displaces people. Mass of water in reservoir can increase earthquakes. Safety planning for downstream communities is often a low priority.
Many older dams pose hazards from years of poor maintenance.
Dam wall acts as a physical barrier for fish species. Reduced water and silt flows cause severe problems for downstream agriculture, fisheries and ecosystems. Reservoir changes river's chemical composition, seasonal timing of flows, and temperature of water, harming fish and other species downstream. Riverbed erosion increases dramatically, reducing biodiversity downstream. Global Response members are asked to support the people of the Narmada Valley by urging the German Chancellor to halt the Hermes loan guarantee for the Maheshwar Dam.