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Saturday, July 31, 1999
Arundhati Roy to lead 'Rally for Valley'
INDORE: Around 250 artists, writers and journalists, led by Booker Prize winner Arundhati Roy, would participate in a week-long 'Rally for Valley' against the Sardar Sarovar Project (SSP) to begin from here tomorrow, reports PTI.
Jabhua district collector Wasim Akhtar told PTI that administration in Khargaon, Badwani and Jhabua districts through which the activists would pass to reach Jalsindhi, has been put on high alert to prevent any untoward incident as they would address public meetings and organise cultural programmes along the route.
He said since the Narmada river was in spate, the district administration has summoned divers, made arrangements for life jackets and motorboats at Kakarana village from where Narmada Bachao Andolan (NBA) activists would cover a distance of 40 kms to Jalsindhi in Jabhua district by boat. A senior police official said travelling by boat was risky with the rains showing no sign of abating. Besides, there were crocodiles in Narmada near Kakarana village. Though the organisers of the rally have not given details about the routes they might take, the activists who are arriving by buses would have to trek a distance of 15 kms for reaching Jalsindhi via Mathawada after crossing a bridge.
Bhupal Singh, the collector of Khargaon, from where the rally would entre the Narmada valley told PTI that Arundhati Roy would address a public meeting at Patharad village and take a halt at Maheshwar. He said police had made elaborate arrangements to prevent any untoward incident in view of the pro-dam sentiment prevailing in the area.
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