To dam or not to dam

THE Bisalpur dam in Rajasthan will finally see the daylight. The World Bank (WB) has decided to fund the Jaipur Water Supply Project which will receive water from the Bisalpur dam under construction in the state. The announcement came in early August.

This is a part of the Rs 3,000 crore loan pledged to the Rajasthan government by the Batik. But not eager to dirty its hands in displacement and other dam-related problems, the Bank has decided to fund only the project supplying water to Jaipur and other towns. Those opposing the project said that this was an attempt to fund the dam by using "back-door" methods.

However, the dam still awaits clearance from the Union ministry of environment and forests (MEF). After a visit to the project area in July, the MEF's Environment Appraisal Committee had stated that the project should be stalled and all project related work should be stopped immediately.