The Supreme Court has refused to re-examine its judgement and expunge the adverse remarks made in it against Medha Patkar-led Narmada Bachao Andolan (NBA) on the issue of land acquisition for Omkareshwar Dam project in Madhya Pradesh. The apex court dismissed the review petitions filed by the NBA saying that the May 11, 2011 judgement “does not suffer from any mistake” and “no ground is made out” for review of the September 29, 2011 order by which it had declined to expunge the adverse remarks against the NBA in the verdict.

A three-judge Bench of the Supreme Court on May 3 dismissed petitions filed by Medha Patkar-led Narmada Bachao Andolan to review an apex court judgment and expunge adverse remarks made against the organisation in connection with the issue of land acquisition for Omkareshwar dam project in Madhya Pradesh.

A Bench of Justices R M Lodha, Deepak Verma and B S Chauhan observed in its order that they had decided to dismiss the review petition filed by the NBA against its May 11, 2011 judgment after careful consideration of the available material.

Environment directorate official inspects airport project site

The row over the proposed private airport project at Aranmula has taken a new turn with the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) reportedly taking a serious view of the conversion of paddy fields and wetlands for setting up the project.

The MoEF had taken note of a report in The Hindu on February 2 (Airport project triggers widespread protest) and sought clarifications from the State government on the allegations that the site identified for the project included paddy fields and wetlands.

Angered by Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the controversial hill station project, Lavasa Lake City; activists of the National Alliance of People’s Movements (NAPM) are now planning to file a contempt suit against him.

This was told to DNA by advocate Vishwambhar Chowdhury on Sunday. “Knowing well, that the Bombay high court (HC) has ordered to stop the construction work at Lavasa due to irregularities in the project, Modi chose to visit the site. It is very unfortunate,” he said.

Farmers' protesting against the State Government's proposal to take over around 1,500 acres of “fertile” land for an industrial park would get a fillip when social activist Medha Patkar would join them to highlight their plight on Monday.

Along with Ms. Patkar, the national convenor of National Alliance of People's Movement, G. Nammalvar, organic scientist, would participate in a protest meeting on Monday, said the secretary of Madurai District Farmers' Welfare Association, M. Ramalingam.

DHEMAJI: The anti-dam movement in Assam received a shot in the arm when Narmada Bachao Andolan (NBA) leader Medha Patkar on Thursday said that construction of big dams in the region must be stopped “at any cost”.

The firebrand activist was addressing a public rally at Sauldhuaghat in Lakhimpur district. The rally was organized by six organizations, including the Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti (KMSS), TMPK, AJYCP and AAMSU (R).

Noted environmentalist Medha Patkar today declared that the water of river Subansiri belonged to the people living in its catchment areas and not to the corporate players and added that the movement against the dam on the Subansiri river was same as the Narmada Bachao Movement. She made these comments while addressing a mammoth public meeting near the Subansiri bridge at Thekeraguri in Lakhimpur organized by KMSS and other organizations which are opposing the construction of a mega dam over the Subansiri river at Gerukamukh by NHPC.

GUWAHATI, Feb 12 – The protestors of the mega dams would sit for a discussion with the NHPC authorities tomorrow at 9.30 am in Guwahati. In a statement, the Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti (KMSS), said that the NHPC authorities offered to hold discussion due to the ongoing protest against the Lower Subansiri hydro-electricity project by various organizations and the common people of Dhemaji and Lakhimpur.

Dhanbad, Jan. 29: More than 2,000 people displaced by the Damodar Valley Corporation (DVC) marched to Maithon’s BSK College Ground, 45 km from the district headquarter, today to take part in a public meeting organised by Adivasi Mahasabha, an organisation that has been fighting for the rights of the displaced for over a decade. Prominent social activists like Swami Agnivesh and Medha Patkar besides former Dhanbad MP Chandrashekhar Dubey joined the agitation, which started around 11am and continued for more than four hours.

‘Governments snatching lands without consent of gram sabhas'

Noted social activist Medha Patkar has alleged that indiscriminate acquisition of farm and forest lands by the governments in the name of development without the approval of the ‘gram sabhas' concerned amounted to snatching the livelihood of weaker sections, mainly Adivasis.