ABSTRACT
The policy vacuum on displacement became glaringly obvious during the Sardar Sarovar Project (SSP) crisis. The growing awareness of displacement impact in the SSP and elsewhere, as well as the resistance movements around such issues, combined to fill this gap at the national level. The juxtaposition of large and small dams in ‘either-or’ terms led to a foreseeable impasse, with both sides stressing the merits of their respective choice. However, the debate did inspire some planners and experts to think about alternatives to the SSP. Sengupta proposes an inversion of the planning processes and strategies featuring in the SSP. He notes the technical and managerial innovations proposed in the SSP, such as efficient water use through computer-regulated supply, augmenting water supply through tank and lift irrigation, and distribution through participatory water distribution cooperatives in a warabandi system. For the global alliance, the SSP crisis has meant a stronger struggle against power companies and global funders such as the World Bank.
