SARDAR SAROVAR PROJECT - A REPORT ON THE RESETTLEMENT &
REHABILITATION PROGRAMME IN GUJARAT

Background

With a widely varying annual rainfall across its length and breadth, recurring droughts, perpetual problems of salinity ingress and high fluoride content in drinking water of its available ground water resource. With this and other issues in mind work on developing the Narmada Basin started in 1946. For the Purpose, an expert committee (Khosla Committee) was constituted in year 1965. However due to inter state disputes, its recommendations were not implemented and on 6 October Gujarat state urgently needs management 1969 the Government of India constituted the Narmada Water Disputes Tribunal (NWDT), which, gave its report after 10 years on 12 th December 1979. This became final and binding on all the parties to the dispute, as provided under Section 6 of the Inter-State Water Dispute Act.
In the present case, a considered decision has been taken and an Award made whereby a high dam having an FRL of 455 ft. with capability of developing hydel power to be constructed. In the facts and circumstances enumerated hereinabove, even if this Court could go into the question, the decision so taken cannot be faulted". [Supreme Court of India WP (C) 319/94, para 249]	The Central Government also constituted the Narmada Control Authority (NCA), Review Committee for NCA and Sardar Sarovar Construction Advisory Committee to give effect to the decision of the Tribunal in 1980. Separate Sub Groups have been constituted to look after Environment and Resettlement and Rehabilitation issues under the Chairmanship of Secretary, Govt. of India, Ministry of Environment & Forests and Secretary, Govt. of India, Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment. The highlights of the award and the provisions of the tribunal in regard to the dam and its shared benefits are given in Appendix.

1. The Sardar Sarovar Project

The total land coming under submergence due to the project in the 3 states is 37533 ha. In Madhya Pradesh, only the government land will be affected in 9 villages and in 20 villages only houses will be affected (due to back water effect) and in 82 villages the submergence of agricultural land is less than 10%. Thus, 111 villages in MP are marginally affected. In 32 villages, extent of submergence is 11% to 25%, in 30 villages 26% to 50%, in 14 villages 51% to 75%. in 4 villages 76% to 90% and in 1 village 100%. In Maharashtra, out of 33 villages affected, the submergence in 12 villages is less than 25 ha, and in 6 less than 50 ha. One village is deserted. Thus, 19 villages out of 33 are marginally affected.

The project will be mainly affecting the tribal areas of the three states of Gujarat. Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra. Of the total affected families the details of the scheduled tribes affected show that they form a major portion of the oustees and hence also the direct beneficiaries of the R & R. The details are as follows:

Inception of SSPA

SSPA was constituted in the year 1992 for effective Resettlement and Rehabilitation of Sardar Sarover Project Affected Families (PAFs) Prior to it, there was a department within SSNNL to look after the R&R process. SSPA was constituted with a mandate to improve the living standards, income-generating capacity and production levels of the PAFs after R&R. Since the inception. SSPA is planning and implementing R&R as a development programme w ith the help of various cells ViZ. Land Cell, Education Cell , Health Cell , Agriculture Cell and Rehabilitation Cell.

R&R Policy

The R&R provisions under the NWDT award arc more advanced than any other previous scheme. NWDT award provided a minimum of 2 ha. (5 acres) of agricultural land to all families losing more than 25% of their land holding.

A total of 40.963 families are to be affected by the project at FRL level. The Award allows for choice of state to these affected families (also called PAFs) for resettlement. Out of 40,963 PAFs, 19,851 PAFs are expected to choose Gujarat as their resettlement state.

The project will lead to the resettlement and rehabilitation of some 19,851 PAFs in Gujarat. This target population for the R&R largely belongs to the state of Madhya Pradesh. Out of these PAFs, a major proportion in all the three states belongs to the scheduled castes and tribes.

• agricultural landless labourers
• encroachers
• major sons of the above categories

The liberalized Gujaiat R&R policy for the Narmada Project has many additional features, providing a basis for the resettlement and rehabilitation of project affected families on a much more progressive and integrated basis than any other previous scheme.