Village Kadmal, Madhya Pradesh
~2 minutes
“Narmada is the only river where at both places, at the origin of the river and at the mouth of the end of the river, you can dip your jug in it and drink the water straight from it … Rivers that flow, rivers that collide with the mountains, that flow through the stones on their bed, this flow works as an in-built filter…when the river waters fall down from the top of a waterfall, when she flows through boulders, the rippling sound she makes, all these are natural filters. When a river’s flow, its speed is obstructed (by a dam), how would the filtering happen? The water is bound to become dirty…”
Sitarambhai Patidar
A member of the Samarpit Dal, the dedicated squad of the Narmada Bachao Andolan( NBA), Sitarambhai was a great narrator of fables and stories. He fought with all his might till the very end against the Sardar Sarovar Project (SSP) being built. A very knowledgeable person and an oustee himself, he explains the significance of the Narmada River in an articulate manner. In this clip, he talks of the economic, social and religious significance of the Narmada River. He explains why rivers should remain free flowing and that it is a folly to stop the flow of rivers by dams. This is a ‘must listen’ clip for all those who wish to understand what the river Narmada was like when it was flowing free before the Sardar Sarovar Dam was built.
Interview Duration:
00:36:35
Language:
Hindi and Nimadi, Subtitles in English
Subtitles can be switched on and off by clicking ‘CC’ button at the bottom right of the video