Police arrest top activist over Indian dam protest

INDIA: Indian police arrested a top environmentalist and scores of her supporters as they protested against what they say is the government's failure to rehabilitate people displaced by a controversial dam. Medha Patkar, 52, has led a 20-year campaign to protect hundreds of thousands of poor farmers whose homes and fields have been submerged or will be threatened once work to raise the height of the Sardar Sarovar Dam in western India is complete.

She was arrested as she led a demonstration outside the house of Sonia Gandhi, the chief of the ruling Congress party.

"Can't we protest in front of her (Gandhi's) house when our own houses and huts are being demolished? This is not a dam, it is a killer dam which will make lakhs of people homeless," said fellow activist Vijaya Chauhan, who was also detained. In March, the authorities began work to raise the height of the Sardar Sarovar, the biggest dam in the multi-billion dollar Narmada Valley development project, bringing it one step nearer to completion.

The government has promised to rehabilitate the displaced people, but Patkar's group, the Narmada Bachao Andolan (Save Narmada Campaign), says little has been done. A government-appointed committee looking into re-settlement will submit its report on June 30. Patkar's group says the committee lacks transparency.

New Delhi, Tuesday, Reuters