Gujarat govt cancels river-linking project citing resentment among tribal community

Less than two months after the central government halted the Par-Tapi-Narmada river-linking project in south Gujarat in view of rising protest from the tribal community and Assembly elections approaching, Gujarat chief minister Bhupendra Patel on Saturday announced that the project has been cancelled.

In his brief press conference held in Surat, Patel said, "There were misunderstandings regarding this project among tribal brothers and sisters. There was resentment among them. Consent of state governments is required for any project that the central government announces. For this project, the Gujarat government hasn't given its consent and the government is announcing that this project will not move forward under any circumstances."

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Patel was flanked by Gujarat BJP president C R Paatil, Mukesh Patel, minister of state for agriculture, energy and petrochemicals and Naresh Patel, minister of tribal development, food and civil supply. Patel further added that agreement to cancel this project was also given in a meeting held with union home minister Amit Shah, finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman, MLAs and MPs."

In March, facing large-scale protests from the tribal community, backed by opposition Congress, BJP leaders had met Shah, and Sitharaman, among others in Delhi. After the meeting, the government announced that the project was put on hold for the time being. Despite the announcement, the resentment among the tribal community, especially in south Gujarat where the tribals are feared to suffer displacement due to the project, had kept growing. The tribal community accounts for nearly 15% of the votes.

The opposition Congress had supported the protesting tribals which had reached south Gujarat to Gandhinagar, the state capital. The protest had left the Bhupendra Patel government worried in view of the Assembly polls slated to be held at the end of this year.

The Par-Tapi-Narmada river-linking project plans to carry water from the surplus regions of Western Ghats to semi-arid regions of Saurashtra and Kutch by linking rivers Par, originating from Nashik, Tapi from Saputara and Narmada that flows from Madhya Pradesh.