Gujarat Chief Minister Anandiben Patel rushes to dam site to hold ‘pooja’ to commence construction work; 245 more villages to be submerged after height increase Over 250,000 people in three states who were displaced by the Sardar Sarovar dam in Gujarat are yet to be resettled by the government. Nonetheless, the Central water resources ministry has granted clearance for raising the height of the dam by 16.76 metre. Those displaced by the dam belong to Maharashtra, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh. The meeting on Thursday for clearing project was chaired by secretary of ministry of water resources and attended by officials of Sardar Sarovar Narmada Nigam Limited (SSNNL) and Narmada Control Authority (NCA) officials. Tribals most impacted NCA has approved the dam height increase from 121.92 metre to 138.68 metres, which will submerge 245 villages, mostly tribal ones, in the Narmada valley across three states of Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Gujarat. According to the director of SSNNL, J N Singh, the preparatory work on installation of gates will commence immediately, which is the first step towards increasing the height of the dam. “However, we are beginning the gate construction work only after monsoon in September 2014,” said Singh. The SSNNL director also informed that both the committees of NCA for relief and rehabilitation and environment have cleared the dam height increase.

Click Here To Read More