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.

Supreme Court lawyer and anti-corruption activist Prashant Bhushan has said the Maheshwar dam project, the country's first privately-financed hydropower project, mired in financial irregularities, is unviable.

Mr. Bhushan was addressing in Maheshwar on Sunday a rally, taken out by oustees of the project against the recent decision of the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) allowing raising the water level in the reservoir up to 154 metres.

In a illegitimate reversal of the decision dated 6th May 2011 of Union Ministry of Environment and Forests (MOEF), prohibiting any closure of the gates of the Maheshwar dam or submergence until completion of rehabilitation and resettlement, on 1st of May 2012, the MOEF has issued permission for the closure of the gates of the Maheshwar dam and for partial filling of the reservoir up to 154 meters.

Despite the facts that no synchronization and electricity generation is possible at EL 154 meters of the Maheshwar dam, that there is no survey of the impact of submergence at EL 154 meters, and that less than 15% of the villagers of the 61 villages affected by the Maheshwar dam have been rehabilitated and resettled, the State Government and the S.Kumar’s company Shree Maheshwar Hydel Power Corporation Limited (SMHPCL) which is building the Maheshwar dam on the river Narmada has asked the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MOEF) of the Central government for permission to fill the Maheshw

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).

The Narmada Bachao Andolan claimed that Mukul Kasliwal, S Kumars scion and chairman of SMHPCL, failed to explain the fact that cost of power from the privatised Maheshwar hydel project being constructed on the river Narmada is Rs9.97 per unit. This was in the minutes of the meetings of Union Ministry of Power dated October 19, 2011, May 26, 2011 and June 15, 2011, and Kasliwal failed to deny the grave public issues raised by the NBA.

Narmada Bachao Andolan ( NBA) has demanded CBI inquiry into the purchase of power from Maheshwar Hydro- electric project, which is now Rs 10 per unit and it has become unviable. If Madhya Pradesh does not withdraw, NBA will knock the doors of a court. NBAs Alok Agrawal said, " As per Tariff Order of the MPERC for the year 2011- 2012, the cost of power in MP is Rs. 2.44 per unit. Cost of power from the two upcoming private power projects in Madhya Pradesh - Essar Power and Torrent- is Rs. 2.45 per unit and Rs. 3.31 per unit respectively.

BHILALA TRIBALS often assemble next to what used to be their village, Atursumba of Khargaon district in southeast Madhya Pradesh. Dwarfing them is a 100-feet-wide canal laid high above the ground. Water has seeped from the earthen embankments and submerged the village. “Now, we don’t sing harvest songs; the fun is missing from marriage parties. We are overwhelmed by the destruction of our fertile land,” rues Kailash Pawar, 40, of the tribal village.