Modi's hankering for illusory legacy in the Kalpsar mega water project could prove disastrous for the state's environment and economy, writes activist Himanshu Thakkar
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday dedicated to the nation the 182-metre statue of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, the tallest in the world, and said it will be a reminder about the courage of a man who thwarted efforts to disintegrate India.
At 182 metres (392 ft), the proposed Sardar Patel Monument, coined as 'Statue of Unity', will be double the height of New York city's famed 'Statue of Liberty' (93 metres), five times the height of the statue of 'Christ The Redeemer' in Rio de Janeiro (39.6 metres) and one and a half times of the Sardar Sarovar Dam (122 metres) itself.
The state government had earlier said the 182-metre tall statue will be inaugurated on Sardar Patel's birth anniversary on October 31 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Modi, who had a 30-minute meeting with the prime minister at the latter's official residence, discussed several issues related to the state, officials said
Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Friday with a demand to declare the Sardar Sarovar project a national project. Modi also held deliberations with Singh on the attacks on Indian students in Australia.
The foundation stone of the dam was laid on April 5, 1961 by the country's first prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru. However, it took 56 years to complete its construction.
Medha Patkar was on Monday arrested when she tried to stage a demonstration outside the Secretariat in Mumbai demanding implementation of rehabilitation package for people in Maharashtra affected by the Sardar Sarovar Project.
Hindu temples are also coming up in Bahrain and Abu Dhabi, the prime minister told the gathering.
One of the fears that has been expressed is that the canal network, which passes through the periphery of the park, could obstruct the free movement of the blackbucks.
The NBA has received no response from the PMO after the fact-finding mission.
Patkar said she expected some concrete action from the Centre on the Narmada Bachao Andolan's demand for rehabilitation of the project-affected people and reversal of the decision to raise the height of the Sardar Sarovar dam.
About 72 villages in Bharuch and Vadodara districts, located downstream near the banks of river Narmada have been alerted as water levels are expected to rise due to heavy inflow of water from Madhya Pradesh.
Bhagwatibai Patidar, who had began her fast with Patkar, continued to refuse food for the 10th day today.
Unrelenting in her demand that work on the Sardar Sarovar Dam should be halted immediately, Narmada Bachao Andolan leader Medha Patkar's indefinite fast entered the eighth day Wednesday.
Though the rehabilitation of more than 25,000 families in Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Gujarat is said to be far from complete, the authorities are reportedly pushing strongly to install the gates.
The plea was to stop constructionn work to raise the dam's height.
Mirza was in Rajkot on Sunday for a function where she told reporters that she supported Aamir's stand on the dam.
The Gujarat government has sent top officials to Bhopal to look into the issue of rehabilitation of those affected by the Sardar Sarovar Project after the Supreme Court directive on the issue.
Two more NBA activists - Jamsing Nargavekar and Bhagwati Patidar - who too had been on fast with Patkar, also ended their strike.
The Gujarat chief minister thanked all political parties, which supported the government on the issue of increasing the height of the dam and for opposing the Narmada Bachao Andolan.
Six out of 11 Narmada Bachao Andolan activists called off their hunger strike following an appeal by their leader Medha Patkar who, however, is continuing with her fast.
Later, a delegation led by Patkar and comprising social activists Praful Bidwai and Swami Agnivesh met Kumar. But unsatisfied with her reply, the demonstrators refused to leave the premises till they got a "final answer".
Patkar vomited on the fifth day of her indefinite fast, but refused any medical check-up when a government doctor's team met her.
A major evacuation operation was underway along the river Narmada in Bharuch and Vadodara districts of south Gujarat where the water level has crossed the danger mark, officials said.
Buckling under pressure from market regulator Securities and Exchange Board of India, Bombay Stock Exchange and the investors, the Gujarat government-backed Sardar Sarovar Narmada Nigam Ltd on Friday postponed the May 28 meeting
Six of the Bhopal demonstrators will start their indefinite hunger strike on Tuesday demanding clean drinking water in the affected areas.
The states will have to look again into the relief and rehabilitation work they carried out before raising the dam height.
The Supreme Court on Monday declined to stop construction work on the Sardar Sarovar project, even as the Gujarat government said the work on the dam during monsoon will not go beyond 119 metres.
Shaukat Alias Bhano Pataliya, Rafique Ahmed Ibhrahim alias Bum, and Habib alias Badshah were allegedly part of the mob that attacked the S-6 coach of the Sabarmati Express.
In what could throw awry financial plans of lakhs of investors, the Gujarat government-backed Sardar Sarovar Narmada Nigam Ltd said it would prepay high cost bonds to save about Rs 6,100 crore (Rs 61 billion).
Vinai Kumar Saxena's current job as lieutenant governor of an Opposition-ruled state will raise the bar -- not just for him, but also for the Aam Aadmi Party government, which never says no to a fight with the representative of the central government in India's capital.
Achal Kumar Joti will take over as the head of the Election Commission on July 6.
Among the 121 villages declared 'partially scarcity-hit', 58 are in Kutch, 52 in Banaskantha district in north Gujarat and 11 in Jamnagar district in Saurashtra region.
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