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At a demonstration against an October 2000 Indian Supreme Court order authorizing construction of the Sardar Sarovar dam, an environmentalist stages a silent protest. Activists from the Narmada Bachao Andolan (NBA) movement argue that the dam will displace 250,000 inhabitants of the Narmada Valley -- more people than any project other than China's Three Gorges project -- and leave them with little or no compensation. Many local residents have threatened to drown themselves (an act known as jal samarpan) instead. The government argues that the dam, part of a project that will place 30 large dams and 3,135 small and medium dams along the Narmada River in western India, will provide electricity and water for millions. Anti-dam activists accuse the police of beatings, rapes, and unjustified arrests in connection with the dam struggle. For its part, the government accuses NBA activists of routinely intimidating villagers to protest the dam's construction.
Photo: Savita Kirloskar/Reuters
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