government whose only purpose is to help a
Watershed projects which were community
handful of corporate houses.
driven have been dismantled and water
Let me warn you that one per cent of the
management has been given to the irrigation
wealthy people have been handed over 99
department which is run by Contractors who
per cent of our nation's resources. There is a
understand nothing about water.
small fraction of the population; I would put
The most criminal action relates to the
it at five per cent, who are helping to enrich
irreversible losses taking place of our
this wealthy one per cent.
forests.
The remaining 94 per cent of the people are
The present government has given collectors
mute,
the right to hand over some forest land for
helpless
and
very
frightened
spectators to this loot.
'development'
projects
while
state
The few who had raised their voices in the
governments can decided to green signal the
past -- whether it be NGOs or members of
axing of more forest land while larger areas
civil society -- have been silenced.
will be cleared by the central government.
A very calculated strategy is being enacted
More forests have been axed in the last 19
by this government. I am not afraid to speak
months than in the entire history of post-
out. What is the most they can do to me?
independent India.
Kill me?
What is sad is that what I and other activists
say has no impact on the government. If a
government were to listen to us, more
RIVERS OF INDIA
people will speak out.
Narmada the daughter of Lord Shiva
Unfortunately, the present regime is deaf to
Part-4
our pleas, not realising that the situation in
The Narmada and Tapti discharge their
terms of the environment has become
drainage to the West, while the other rivers
critical.
run
to
the
east.
This
exceptional
circumstances is explained by the fact that
The last 10, 15 years have been a watershed
these two rivers do not flow in valleys of
for us. Activities which should have been
their own eroding but have usurped for their
key such as nature rejuvenation, pasture
channels, two fault planes, or deep alluvium-
rejuvenation, jungle rejuvenation have all
filled rifts in the rocks, running parallel with
been stopped.
the Vindhyan.
9
Integrated River Basin Management Society