Medha Patkar ends 20-day hunger strike

New Delhi, Apr 17 (UNI) Narmada Bachao Andolan leader Medha Patkar ended her 20-day hunger strike this evening after the Supreme Court said it will be left with no option but to stop the construction of the dam if relief and rehabilitaion measures for the oustees were found inadequate by May 1.

Under pressure from NBA activists to end her fast, she accepted juice offered by a NBA activist in the presence of CPI General Secretary A B Bardhan.

Later, she especially thanked former Delhi High Court Chief Justice Rajinder Sachar and veteran journalist Kuldip Nayar.

NBA activists had been staging a sit-in here at Jantar Mantar for 31 days in protest against the decision of the Narmada Control Authority to raise the height of the Sardar Sarovar Dam.

Meanwhile, the Supreme Court today said it would have no option but to stop the ongoing construction of the Sardar Sarovar Dam if relief and rehabilitation measures to be provided to the oustees were found inadequate.

A bench comprising Chief Justice Y K Sabharwal, Justice K G Balakrishnan and Justice S B Sinha while adjourning the hearing to May 1, declined to stop the ongoing construction work till the next date of hearing.

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