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(Map shows states affected by Narmada Dam Plan) We are writing today from the Narmada valley in Central India , a rich and beautiful valley that has nurtured our people for generations and that we are now fighting to save with your support and solidarity. As you may know the Indian government has proposed to build 30 large dams on the Narmada and her tributaries - dams that will submerge homes and lands of millions of people, rich forests and a mosaic of livelihoods. We, the people of the valley have been struggling against this. The Maheshwar Project - a privatized Hydel Project and one of the large dams in the valley, has threatened the lives and livelihoods of thousands of farmers, fisherpeople and boatspeople in the area. Around 110 million US dollars to fund this Project was to come from a private German bank. This bank and the Siemens company whose equipment was to be brought by the bank loan had applied to the German government for a guarantee. However a snow balling of public opinion across the world created by friends such as Global Response pressured the German government to review the Project. The review report sharply indicted the Project for complete lack of rehabilitation and resettlement arrangements for the affected people. A month after the report was out in August, 2000, the Siemens withdrew its application for a guarantee and the Hypovereinsbank refused to give the Maheshwar Project the proposed loan for 110 million US dollars. It is a major victory for the people of the valley and for friends and supporters whose actions such as writing to the German Chancellor last year was able to give the struggle sufficient leverage to be able to move towards a victory. We know the struggle will be a long one. The private company S.Kumars which is the Promoter of the Maheshwar dam has now approached the Ogden Energy Group - a power utility in the US to invest in the Project. They are trying to lobby the US administration and the Indian government to achieve these aims. It is a matter of shame that even after a report by a team of internationally renowned experts have shown how complete communities will be disposessed if the dam is built, the promoters as well as power equipment manufacturers like Siemens should refuse to accept the conclusions in principle and should forage for alternative financing for this Project. For us it is a matter of our life and death. We plan to intensify our struggle in the days to come and we are confident that with the support from each of you ranged all over the globe we will be able to stop this mindless destruction and build a society that is socially and ecologically more just. Chittaroopa Palit, Mangat Verma, Urmila Patidar, Alok Agarwal, Village Lepa, Village Pathrad ..
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