The consturction of the Maheshwar dam has been ordered to be suspended for non-compliance of environmental conditions, as the Narmada Bachao Andolan (NBA) has claimed victory.

The ministry of environment and forests, in a letter dated April 23, ordered immediate suspension of the dam construction over the Narmada river in Madhya Pradesh, according to an NBA statement. The MoEF letter ciruclated by the NBA cites non-compliance of environmental conditions stipulated in an environmental clearance dated 1st May, 2001 as the reason.

The April 23 letter referred to the reply given by Shree Maheshwar Hydel Power Corporation Ltd to the show-cause notice issued by the ministry and termed it as “not satisfactory.”  Among the reasons cited by the ministry for not finding SMHPCL’s response satisfactory are "negligible R&R work has been done" and that "no agricultural land has been identified for rehabilitation purposes."

The letter from the ministry also states that the backwater level calculation report of the Central Water Commission which was to be submitted by December 2009 has not yet been submitted, and that the two wildlife sanctuaries promised have not been created.

"Exercising the powers under Section 5 of the Environment (Protection) Act of 1986, the central government directs the project proponent to suspend the ongoing construction work at the Maheshwar Hydro Electric Project site with “immediate effect till a satisfactory compliance report on the above mentioned issues is submitted by the project proponent [SMHPCL] and the same is found to be implemented by this ministry," the letter states.

On hearing this announcement, the activists of the NBA who were on an indefinite hunger strike ended their fast.  Senior NBA activist Alok Agrawal, breaking his fast after 30 hours, said: “We are happy with the letter issued by the MoEF.  It reaffirms the faith of the people in democratic institutions.  We are committed to continue our struggle and ensure that the order is fully implemented and each and every project-affected family gets its full entitlements, and is treated with dignity and respect.”

The Maheshwar dam is one of the 30-odd large dams being built on the Narmada. The project was privatised by the Madhya Pradesh government in 1992.