The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has overruled a ministry of environment and forests (MoEF) order allowing for the filling of water in the Maheshwar Dam Reservoir.
Two project-hit villagers had challenged the MoEF’s order allowing for partial filling of the reservoir by appealing to the NGT.
They had contended before the green court that the submergence of their villages would cause irreparable damage to their life and livelihood.
This has once again come as a shot in the arm of the Narmada Bachao Andolan (NBA) which has been fighting for the rehabilitation of the villagers who will be affected by the construction of 30 big and 135 mid-size dams in the Narmada valley.
In April 2010, NBA activists had forced the MoEF to order stop construction work on the Maheshwar Dam. The MoEF had cited non-compliance of regulatory norms which had been stipulated in the environmental clearance as reason for halting construction. But under pressure from both the centre and MP state government, former MoEF minister Jairam Ramesh lifted the stop order too allow for the construction of the last five spillway gates located at the centre of the dam.
Unfortunately, the NGT judges felt that the rehabilitation and resettlement work for the evicted villagers left a great deal to be desired and so they have passed an interim order on the plea.