Medha Patkar suspends Jal Satyagrah as water level stops rising
Badwani: Social activists Medha Patkar and other villagers stand in water of Narmada river to protest the birthday celebration of Prime Minister Narendra Modi by inaugurating the construction of Sardar Sarovar Dam, during ”Jalsatyagrah” at Chhota Barda Village in Badwani district of Madhya Pradesh on Saturday. (PTI Photo)
Hours after Prime Minister Narendra Modiinaugurated the Sardar Sarovar Dam in Gujarat, Narmada Bachao Andolan (NBA) leader Medha Patkar on Sunday suspended the Jal Satyagrah she had started with women affected by the project here on Friday.
The NBA had called for an indefinite Jal Satyagrah, announcing that Patkar and the other women would prefer to be submerged if the backwater level rose further due to closure of gates of Sardar Sarovar Dam. When the water level did not rise on Sunday, Patkar announced suspension of the agitation, saying it would continue in other forms till those affected by the project were properly rehabilitated. With less water in reservoirs in MP, the water level in the affected areas is unlikely to rise in the near future.
Credit: /indianexpress.com