Govt's claim on SSP benefits illusory:NBA

Badwani,MP, Apr 17 (UNI) The Narmada Bachao Andolan (NBA) has described the government's claim of benefits arising from raising the height of Sardar Sarovar dam as illusory saying the benefits will be much less than claimed.

In a statement here yesterday, the NBA rubbished the claims that raising the dam's height to 121.92 metre would generate 1,450 MW electricity and solve drinking water problems in 4,000 villages besides irrigating 18 lakh hectare in unirrigated area.

The NBA said these benefits will accrue by raising the dam's height to 139 metre.

Irrigation area had been calculated on 60 per cent basis, while actual benefit will be 40-45 per cent covering merely nine per cent of Gujarat's Saurashtra and two per cent of Kachh regions.

According to the release, the project's generation capacity is 1,450 MW. The generation of 1,200 MW will take place at river bed power house. Power generation will come down with increase in irrigated area.

The NBA alleged that the government's claim was an attempt to conceal its negligence in rehabilitation of the displaced.

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