All about SSP

Dont you think that its important to know what is sardar sarovar project all about before going into the other details.An Abstract from http://www.sardarsarovardam.org/"Arable land and fresh water are two important resources of India. India's arable land area is 30% more than that of China which is as such three times India in size - geographically. India's surface water estimated at 1952 BCM is about two-third that of China. India's northern region makes up the World's largest alluvial plane and the soils rank among the most fertile in the World.And yet India remains poor and underfed : Then, what is the handicap? It is two-fold - first our arable land is spread out stretching from Kachchh to Brahmaputra valley and from Deccan trap to planes of Punjab, while bulk of surface water sources are concentrated in about a dozen river basins; second, 80 to 90% of surface water is available only in monsoon months, and flows down the sea if not impounded. Therefore neither water nor land is utilised optimally, depriving the country of their full benefits.The Sardar Sarovar Project, or any other large water resources project for that matter, has to be viewed in this national perspective.In course of 50 years of planned economic development of our country, we have taken tremendous strides in agriculture sector. Our country which had to depend upon imports to feed even a population of 350 millions (35 crores) when we became independent, has attained a position of self sufficiency with some exportable surplus even with a population of over 1 billion (102 crores). The Sardar Sarovar Project was first conceived in the 1940s by India's first Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, but the project did not begin to become a reality until 1979. The goal of the project is to create around 3200 small, medium and large dams along the length of the river, with the Sardar Sarovar dam being the largest.Suggestions like water harnessing, small dams, watershed development etc. often flaunted by anti dam activists which may look deceptively simple, become totally irrelevant and grossly inadequate to meet such situations and for such arid areas for which transfer of water from surplus regions can only provide a real and lasting remedy. Sardar Sarovar Project is essentially a vehicle for taking plentiful waters of Narmada basin which are to-day flowing down the sea, to the water starved regions of Saurashtra, Kachchh, North Gujarat and Rajasthan. It can be compared with transfer of water from Central USA to the arid areas of West USA.Such water transfer also enables optimum use of arable land and water when they are apart from each other. While land can not be transferred, water can be flown to distant places. Otherwise land one side and water away at other place, both remain unused, unproductive. And if in face of hunger and poverty, water and land are allowed to remain separated and unused, it can be regarded as a crime against humanity! The core issue of development in a country is to manage its natural resources. And as Development Economists often say, a country is poor, not because it does not have resources, but because it does not have either will or ability to manage its resources. In Sardar Sarovar Project we have undertaken this task of managing our water resources for National interest - our food security, energy security and upgrading the quality of life - including that of people who would be required to shift from submergence areas. It is a national project in the true sence.It is intended to present the factual details and basic data relating to the project, also highlighting its multidimensional contribution to welfare of the people of the participating States - e.g. Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Gujarat and Rajasthan and to the national economy.Like many other projects of developing countries from Aswan of Egypt to the Lesotho Highlands water scheme of South Africa and Tehri in India, Sardar Sarovar Project has also become a focus of a concerted international anti dam campaign, carried out by its local loyal supporters, resorting to disinformation intended to create confusion in public mind. As has happened in the case of Aswan Dam in Egypt, time will vindicate the wisdom of planners and leaders who have helped in pushing ahead with this project with determination and commitment."