Bullet train project: Is it Narmada all over again?

Vadodra The foundation for Sardar Sarovar Dam at Kevadia in Gujarat as part of the Narmada Valley Project was laid in 1961 But for the past 30 years the Narmada Bachao Andolan helmed by activist Medha Patkar has been highlighting the flawed manner in which the project has been conceptualised and how rehabilitation policies have failed the 41000 families living near the reservoirOne of the most memorable images of the protests led by Patkar were of the jal satyagraha The photo of her along with dozens of villagers submerged in the water as a mark of protest continues to be a moving image30 years on still miserableRohit Prajapati member of the Paryavaran Suraksha Samiti PSS meets us at a local eatery in Vadodara that according to him serves the best Gujarati thali Even as he is shuttles between meetings in the city he decides to squeeze in some time for us Under the guise of development the government is exploiting natureAll of us owe the Earth an apology he says Just like Patkar Prajapati too has relentlessly struggled seeking justice for the peoplemdashhis fight against development started in the 80s when he participated in rallies against the Narmada Valley ProjectI was studying engineering at the Maharaja Sayajirao University in Vadodara then This was 1987 when the NBA office was set up in the same city Patkar would regularly visit and organise protests from there I on the other hand was focussing on the environmental hazards of industrial waste I remember visiting the Hema Chemical Industries in 1992 and finding that people living nearby had chrome ulcers he recallsWhile his focus remained elsewhere Prajapati was aware of the dam project It was his wife Trupti Shah an environmentalist who introduced him to Patkar They had been involved in NBA and before I knew it I had joined Patkar in her protests against the damsOn March 19 1994 an incident shook Prajapati It was the day my son Maanav was born I did not get the chance to celebrate because our office in Vadodara was burnt to the ground by Congress and BJP leaders that day We were arrested and locked up he says But there was no stopping Patkar or Prajapati In a few days we set up a new office in the same area There were so many issues with the dam project Building a dam was not a solution to the water crisis recharging groundwater was he addsMedha Patkar during the iconic Jal Satyagraha PicNarmadaorgBack then villagers were promised rehabilitation But 19 villages were divided into 80 to 85 villages How is that fair How can they start afresh in an alien world They have no fertile land there How will they earn a livelihood We have ruined their lives and it pains me to see them miserable 30 years laterOld story new chapterNot much has changed since says Prajapati Thirty years ago we fought against a dam project and now we are fighting a railway project he says Prajapati along with other activists has opposed the NDA governments bullet train projectThe bullet train or the high speed rail corridor that will connect Mumbai to Ahmedabad is the governments dream project The train will pass through the two states of Gujarat and Maharashtra and union territory of Dadra amp Nagar HaveliRohit Prajapati member Paryavaran Suraksha SamitiThe 508kmlong route starts from the BandraKurla Complex and ends in Ahmedabad The 12 proposed stations are Mumbai Thane Virar Boisar Vapi Billimora Surat Bharuch Vadodara Anand Ahmedabad and SabarmatiThey are promising villagers in Gujarat and Maharashtra that they will be compensated and rehabilitated but none of them will be The government needs to stop fooling the people We will not let the bullet train ruin lives in Gujarat again he says508Length in km of the bullet train routeCatch up on all the latest Mumbai news crime news current affairs and also a complete guide on Mumbai from food to things to do and events across the city here Also download the new midday Android and iOS apps to get latest updates