Clearly, the anti-dam lobby was highly worried about the icon-like status achieved and sustained over these years by the Bhakra project, and the overwhelmingly beneficial picture about the project embedded in the public mind. It was even more concerned that the success of the project, if not challenged, might strengthen the public support for similar large dam projects elsewhere. The detractors of large dams wanted to destroy the “Icon called Bhakra”. So the iconoclasts were encouraged and supported to attack it in every conceivable way. This seems to be the motivating cause for the savage attack mounted on every aspect of Bhakra in the MAK study. (We shall soon see whether these attacks had any justification, supported by rational evidence.)

The Preface of the book itself starts off by pointing that –“Indeed, the Bhakra project has become an icon in the developmental history of independent India” 7 (p. ix). The prosperity of Punjab, the huge production of food grains in Punjab and Haryana, the surplus food produced by these states that provide support to the rest of the country, are all repeatedly cited as testimony to great benefits of the Bhakra project” (p.ix). It considers that the World Commission on Dams (WCD), virtually vindicated much of what the people challenging dams had been saying. All these evidences show that the anti-dam lobby was in desperate need for the iconoclasts to attack the project in every way and try to smash this icon called Bhakra into smithereens. Only thereafter, perhaps, could the large dams debate be diverted to their advantage.

• Here and elsewhere in this critique, sometimes in the interest of continuity or brevity, minor modifications can be found. The original version in the book can always be referred to, using page references cited.

There were quick and strong reactions from NGOs, professional bodies and research institutions to the outbursts contained in the publication “Unravelling Bhakra” released by MAK in late April, 2005. The Delhi center of the Indian Water Resources Society (IWRS) brought out a brief rebuttal in May 20058. Centre for Policy Research, brought out in July 2005 a Critique on the MAK report9. The Central Board of Irrigation and Power, organized a Workshop on the Impacts of Bhakra Nangal Project at New Delhi on August,4, 2005. A number of papers were presented at this workshop10. The participants at the workshop discussed many issues raised in the MAK report.

Arun Shourie once pointed out that -“An organisation or group that is devoted to a particular cause-to stop all dams, for instance- is liable to receive more and more information that casts doubts on large dams:…………. The more passionately committed it gets to this cause, the more likely it is to exaggerate the significance of every scrap that reinforces the case. When it is “totally committed”, it will go about hunting for such information, at times inventing it…..”11. Thus it is necessary to study the MAK paper carefully to cross check what it says.

“Unravelling Bhakra”- is a 300 page report. If one has to examine everything said in that report and straighten out every misrepresentation or illogical distortions, then this critique too will become lengthy and take much time to finalise. Therefore this critique will respond to the select main points made. The focus of the study will be kept as the Bhakra-Nangal Project and its impacts. Accordingly, this Critique brings out the main points about the Bhakra-Nangal Project that have been made by Shripad Dharmadhikary in the MAK publication and explains the correct position in respect of them.

However, certain points about matters beyond the purview of the focus of study, too, have been very briefly commented upon so as to present the readers with a more holistic picture of the issues involved.

Before going into the major criticisms made against Bhakra, this Critique starts by pointing out major errors and slants introduced by Dharmadhikary in his presentation of the evolution of the project, its planning and the salient features.

• Indian Water Resources Society, Delhi center, May, 2005, A brief rebuttal of “ Unravelling Bhakra”
• Rangachari, R, July 2005 ,“A Critique on Unravelling Bhakra” Centre for Policy research, New Delhi.
• Central Board of Irrigation and Power, August,2005, Proceedings of the Workshop –Impacts of Bhakra Nangal project held n August, 4, 2005.
• Arun Shourie, from an article that appeared in ‘The Asian Age’ dated 6 November, 1998.