Narmada Bachao Andolan and Sardar Sarovar, 1989-1993

1989 – 30 Mar 1993, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra

The Narmada Bachao Andolan (NBA), led by Medha Patkar with Baba Amte, opposed the Sardar Sarovar dam over displacement and environmental damage. From 25 December 1990 Patkar led a march from Madhya Pradesh towards the dam site; Gujarat police stopped it at Ferkuwa on the state border, and Patkar and others began a hunger strike there on 7 January 1991. In June 1991 the World Bank commissioned an independent review headed by Bradford Morse, whose June 1992 report found deficiencies in the Bank's appraisal and in the project's implementation; the Government of India and the Government of Gujarat did not accept it. On 29 March 1993 the Government of India asked the World Bank to cancel the rest of its loan and chose to complete the project on its own.

Draft. Written with AI help from the sources listed. Not yet checked by a person. 3 claims are held back until sourced. Report an error

In power: INC: Centre

What the government did

29 Mar 1993
OtherCentreShare
By a letter of 29 March 1993 the Government of India asked the World Bank to cancel the remaining undisbursed portion of its loan for the Sardar Sarovar dam and power project, and decided to complete construction on its own.
MoreLess · 4 sources
The World Bank announced the decision on 30 March and put the cancelled amount at about $170 million of a $450 million package approved in 1985. In October 1992 the Bank's Executive Directors had made continued support depend on benchmarks for resettlement and environment, to be met by 31 March 1993. The Bank had commissioned the independent review in June 1991; its President said in June 1992 that the review had identified deficiencies in the Bank's appraisal, in the borrower's implementation and in the Bank's supervision.
Sources [6][7][8][10]

Outcome

The World Bank formally cancelled the loan and the government continued the project with its own funds. The Supreme Court suspended further construction in 1995. On 18 October 2000 it declined to rely on the Morse report, which neither the World Bank nor the Government of India had accepted, and directed that construction continue as per the Tribunal Award, with the dam raised beyond 90 metres only in step with resettlement.

Background

Who governed at the start of the protest. Each action above counts for the party in power where and when it happened.

Centre government: INC, P. V. Narasimha Rao, Prime Minister
State government: Janata Dal in Gujarat, Chimanbhai Patel, Chief Minister
Places: Narmada valley, Sardar Sarovar dam site, Ferkuwa, Barwani, Dhule
Cause: Displacement and environmental damage from the Sardar Sarovar dam
Organisers: Narmada Bachao Andolan, Medha Patkar, Baba Amte
Scale: A march from Barwani to the Gujarat border from 25 December 1990 to 31 January 1991 (Asia Watch), with about 2,000 Adivasis camped on the Madhya Pradesh side at Ferkuwa (Abhiyan); a hunger strike from 7 January 1991, 22 days long according to the Goldman Prize citation

What they said

Words in quote marks were matched in the source. Everything else is a summary; open the source for the exact words. Each statement says whether the speaker's party was in power or in opposition at the time.

In power
Did not accept the independent review's report, in a letter of 7 August 1992 from the Secretary, Ministry of Environment and Forests, according to the Supreme Court. In March 1993 asked the World Bank to cancel the rest of the loan and said it would complete the project on its own; it said significant progress had been made on the resettlement and environment benchmarks and that it remained committed to the action plan.
Summary, not a quote
INC29 Mar 1993[6][7][9]

In power
“The Independent Review report presented in June 1992 was highly disappointing.”
At Section 1, Introduction, p. 1
other (Government of Gujarat)Aug 1992[11]