[229] in peace2
Tell US-Based Ogden Corp. to get out of Maheshwar
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Vinay Kumar - matching athena acco)
Tue Apr 25 11:28:51 2000
From: Vinay Kumar - matching athena account <vkumar@ai.mit.edu>
Message-Id: <10004251527.AA14790@massa-intermedia.mit.edu>
To: peace-list@MIT.EDU, secular@MIT.EDU
Date: Tue, 25 Apr 100 11:27:14 -0400 (EDT)
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Please forward to all those who might be able to help out. Thanks,
vinay
Forwarded message:
> Date: Fri, 21 Apr 2000 14:44:58 -0700 (PDT)
> From: Venu Govindu <venu@narmada.org>
> Subject: ACTION ALERT: TELL US-BASED OGDEN CORP. TO GET OUT OF THE MAHESHWAR
> PROJECT
>
> ********************************************
> ACTION ALERT!
> STOP THE MAHESHWAR DAM IN INDIA'S NARMADA VALLEY!
> ********************************************
>
> The NY-based Ogden Corporation signed a Memorandum of Intent on March 23 to
> take a 49% equity share in the Maheshwar Dam on India's Narmada River. The
> project will be a social and economic disaster. If we act together, we can
> stop this unjust project.
>
> We urge you to CALL, FAX, or EMAIL OGDEN ON APRIL 25 and tell them to
> withdraw from the Maheshwar Dam. Urge them to decline involvement in a
> project that will potentially destroy local communities and their livelihoods.
>
> BARRAGE OGDEN DAY - TUE, APRIL 25
> Tell NY-Based Ogden Corp. to Get Out of the Maheshwar Dam Project!
>
> Scott Mackin
> President and CEO, Ogden Corp.
> tel: 212-868-6000
> fax: 212-868-5714
> email: scott_mackin@ogden-energy.com
>
> Kent Burton, VP, Policy & Communications, Ogden
> tel: 703-246-0833
> fax: 703-246-0808
> email: kent_burton@ogden-energy.com
>
>
> Background on the Maheshwar Dam Project:
>
> The dam would affect more than 35,000 farmers, wage laborers, fisher and
> crafts people in 61 villages and submerge about 1,100 hectares of rich
> agricultural land. Many of these people would lose part or all of their
> lands. There is not enough land available to rehabilitate the dispossessed.
> The Madhya Pradesh (MP) State Government has admitted that it has no land
> to resettle people displaced by the Sardar Sarovar Project downstream of
> Maheshwar. People displaced by the Bargi and Tawa Dams are still fighting
> for resettlement 10 and 25 years, respectively, after the dams were completed.
>
> The affected people, led by the Narmada Bachao Andolan (Save the Narmada
> Movement), are determined that they will never let the project be
> built. The NBA has spearheaded a non-violent movement for 15 years to stop
> dams on the river Narmada. Over the last two years, thousands of farmers
> whose lives and livelihoods will be destroyed by the Maheshwar Dam have
> occupied the dam site nine times, barricaded all roads leading to the dam
> for three months, and held mass demonstrations and hunger strikes opposing
> the dam.
>
> Since its inception, the project has been plagued by financial problems.
> Electricity generated by the dam is projected to cost four to five times
> more than electricity currently produced by the state of Madhya Pradesh
> (MP). The MP Electricity Board, which is supposed to purchase power from
> the project, is on the verge of bankruptcy and is likely to default on its
> payments. Due to the project's serious financial risks and intense
> opposition from local people and Indian and international environmental and
> human rights groups, U.S. power utility PacifiCorp backed out of the
> project in 1998, and German utilities Bayernwerk and VEW Energie pulled out
> in April 1999.
>
> In 1998, the MP Government had constituted a Task Force to review the
> project. As per the recommendations of the Task Force, the MP Government
> has decided to halt further construction of other dams on the river Narmada
> and look for alternatives. However, it is proceeding with the Maheshwar
> project, even though the Task Force report has detailed better and cheaper
> alternatives to the Maheshwar Project.
>
> Ogden's involvement in the Project:
>
> In December, the people of the Valley wrote to Ogden outlining the problems
> with the project and asked Ogden not to proceed with the investment before
> visiting the Valley and meeting with the people who will be affected by the
> project. Having not received any reply from Ogden, more than 300 newly
> elected representatives from the Valley passed a resolution opposing the
> project and sent it to Ogden. In spite of this, Ogden signed a Memorandum
> of Intent on March 23 to take a 49% equity share in the Maheshwar Dam
> Project. Not only were Ogden's representatives not able to meet with and
> talk with the affected people, to add salt to the wounds, they also claim
> that they visited the villages and that ".. most families we saw were
> pleased and appreciative of the project" .
>
> CALL, FAX, or EMAIL OGDEN ON APRIL 25
> TELL OGDEN TO WITHDRAW FROM MAHESHWAR DAM !!
>
> FOR MORE INFORMATION, visit www.narmada.org or www.irn.org
>
> International Rivers Network
> 1847 Berkeley Way, Berkeley, CA 94703 USA
> Tel: 510-848-1155; Fax: 510-848-1008; E-mail: swong@irn.org
>
