Gujarat rightly prides itself in its business acumen and entrepreneurial spirit. So what would a Gujarati businessperson or entrepreneur say to a business model where close to 53% of all monies spent over the last five years have gone as interest to bond holders? To 37% of the total project cost going towards debt servicing? What would the same person with business acumen do to his/her contractor if the quality of building was so poor that the building couldn’t function for the purpose for which it was constructed and, in fact, the purpose of the project had to be put on hold? And what would s/he do if s/he found that the manager was diverting products meant for the public good to a few wealthy buddies?

I would think that the entrepreneur would rethink strategy quickly, sack the contractor and take him to court for fraud, and do the same with the manager.

I am sure most of you agree. But what happens if all the above are done by a government elected to serve a people? What should our collected response be?

A people’s report titled “Narmada Project –A Monument of Mis-Management” has just been tabled and these horrific figures and facts are dealt with there. And the culprit is the Government of Gujarat.

The Sardar Sarovar Project is a lifeline for  the people of Saurashtra and Kutchch. Its implementation affects almost half of the state of Gujarat, socially as well as economically.  Looking at the wavering and uncommitted attitude and intentions of the Government of Gujarat towards it since 2002, a group of well-known, responsible and experienced social workers of the state set up a committee to find out the facts, and to resolve the issues related with the implementation in the hope of hastening its delivery. The Peoples Inquiry Committee on Narmada Project Implementation adopted

two approaches to the fact finding:  

(a) the Committee conducted eight Jansunvais (public hearings) at Dhrangradhra, Halvad, Patan, Vagara (Bharuch), Rajkot and Jamnagar among others, where approximately 3000 farmers and water users presented their experiences. Fuming with anger and emotions, they also submitted written memoranda and filed affidavits to narrate their plight. The public hearings were also video graphed as evidence.

(b)RTIs and anecdotal evidence

The report is unequivocal in its criticism of high handedness and non-accountability on the part of the current government. It points out how the Comptroller and Auditor General in their report of 2007 have pointed out the government’s unjustified increase of water to industry by five times, thereby depriving the truly deprived. Further it states how Gandhinagar city whose residents use 90 MLD of Narmada water instead of 49MLD, is being pampered at the cost of drought prone areas. “Why do we witness precious Narmada Water flowing to Gandhinagar, Vadodara and Ahmedabad, when propaganda repeatedly presented it as the last saviour for drought prone village of Saurasthra and Kachchh ? “ demands the report. 

Over the last few years the Narmada issue has become the holy cow of the present government and all queries about corruption, mismanagement, rehabilitation, environmental danger etc are labeled anti Gujarat and shoved to the margins. However concerned citizens from both pro-dam and anti-dam camps now feel that we are a long way from the judicious and equitable distribution of water for fulfilling the needs of the people, andthat policies are laid down to satiate the greed of some. This is and has been the main concern for the so called anti dam lobby as well as those who are pro dam.  

The decisive moment has arrived in the Narmada debate. Severaleminent organizations have formed a Peoples’ Investigation Committee under the Chairmanship of Justice (Retired) D.G. Karia. 

Their answer is unequivocal. We the people of Gujarat are being taken for a right royal ride. 
Is that enough to push us out of inertia and lethargy? Or do we want water wars at our doorstep before we agitate?