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SC issues notice on petition alleging Sardar Sarovar water level raised for Modi b’day in violation of its order

Supreme Court issued notices on petition alleging that filling up Sardar Sarovar Dam for PM Narendra Modi’s birthday submerged of vast areas without proper rehabilitation of affected persons.

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7 years ago

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Sardar Sarovar water level

The Supreme Court on Wednesday, Sep 18 issued notices to the Centre, state governments of Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and Maharashtra and the Narmada Control Authority (NCA) on a petition alleging that filling up Sardar Sarovar Dam on Narmada river to full capacity to mark Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s birthday on Sep 17 led to submergence of vast areas without proper rehabilitation of affected persons.

The petition on behalf of five affected persons from Barwani, Dhar and Alirajpur districts of Madhya Pradesh was heard by a division bench comprising Justices NV Ramana and Justice Ajay Rastogi who fixed Sep 26 as the next date of hearing.

Narmada Bachao Andolan (NBA), spearheading a movement for the dam affected people, said the court will go into the question of rehabilitation before submergence as well as the water level to be maintained in the Sardar Sarovar Dam at the next hearing.

The writ petition has challenged the filling up of the Sardar Sarovar Dam to full capacity of 138.68 meters ahead of schedule and in contravention of the Narmada Water Tribunal directive and earlier judgments of the Supreme Court, wherein it is mandated that no submergence should take place without rehabilitation, the NBA statement said.

Sanjay Parikh, senior advocate appearing for petitioners, pointed out before the Supreme Court that in April this year the state of Gujarat insisted that the dam should be filled to full capacity of 138.68m, to check the safety of the dam and test the dam gates.

The NCA, on July 15, permitted increase in water level according to a fixed schedule, despite noting that the Narmada Tribunal Award stipulates that no submergence should take place without rehabilitation.

Also Read: Bike rally flagged off from Delhi for Vadnagar for PM Modi’s 69th Birthday Celebration

Even according to this schedule, the dam was to be filled to full capacity of 138.68 metres only by Oct 15. It said the water level in Sardar Sarovar was to be increased to 134.18 metres by August 31, to 137.72 meters by September 30 and to full capacity of 138.68 metres by October 15.

Though the NCA noted that rehabilitation of people had not been completed, the NCA allowed the scheduled rise in water level saying that according to the Narmada Tribunal award and orders of the Supreme Court, action plan should be framed by each state to shift people.

The petition alleged that after this illegal decision, water level of reservoir started rising. The level was raised with the target of reaching the full reservoir level of 138.68 m by the special date of September 17, 2019 (birthday of Prime Minister Narendra Modi).

This was in violation of the time schedule fixed, the petition said.

“As a result, 178 villages, people living there with women and children, having livelihoods, including prime agriculture, fisheries, cattle grazing, water transport, trading etc. with schools, dispensaries, places of worship, roads, large number of trees, grazing land got submerged, resulting in the human calamity of the worst kind. The said decision was, in fact, a cruel and inhuman way to compel people to vacate under threat of and imposed submergence,” the petition said.

The petition said the raising of water level by NCA without due rehabilitation was contrary to Narmada Water Dispute Tribunal’s Award (NWDTA) and earlier judgments of the Supreme Court, wherein it is mandated that no submergence should take place without rehabilitation.

Also Read: Gold Crown to mark PM Modi’s Birthday

Sanjay Parikh, Senior Advocate, appearing for Petitioners, submitted before the Supreme Court that Sardar Sarovar being an inter-State project, terms and conditions of the Award are binding on the concerned States (Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra).

The stipulation that no submergence should take place till complete resettlement and rehabilitation (R&R) is done, is not only a mandatory condition in the said Award, but was also affirmed by the Supreme Court judgments in 2000 and 2005. In those judgments, the Supreme Court held that even temporary submergence cannot take place till R&R is complete. After the last order in February, 2017, the complete R&R should have been done but the same did not happen and immense sufferings faced by the people, affecting livelihood, shelter and life, continue.

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Asish Banerjee found dead in Rampurhat, Mamata Banerjee aide’s death shocks TMC

Former West Bengal deputy speaker and five-time Rampurhat MLA Asish Banerjee was found dead at a Trinamool Congress office in Birbhum.

Published

12 hours ago

on

August 16, 2026

By

Mamata Banerjee

Former West Bengal Assembly deputy speaker and Trinamool Congress leader Asish Banerjee was found dead at a party office next to his residence in Rampurhat, Birbhum district, on Sunday morning.

Police said his body was found hanging and was sent for postmortem. A large crowd gathered outside the Trinamool Congress office after news of his death spread.

Who was Asish Banerjee?

Asish Banerjee had served as the deputy speaker of the West Bengal Assembly when Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee was the state’s chief minister. He was also a five-time MLA from Rampurhat.

He had served as Bengal’s education and agriculture minister after Mamata Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress first came to power in the state.

Banerjee contested the West Bengal Assembly election earlier this year but lost the Rampurhat seat to BJP’s Dhruba Saha.

Asish Banerjee’s recent party role

Banerjee stepped down as chairman of the Trinamool Congress’s Birbhum district core committee in June. At the time, he said he would continue as a general member of the party.

He lived in the Hattalapara neighbourhood of Rampurhat, with the party office where his body was found located next to his house.

BJP gains in Birbhum

The BJP won six of the 11 Assembly constituencies in Birbhum in the latest state election. This marked a significant change from 2021, when the Trinamool Congress had won 10 seats in the district while the BJP had secured one.

Police have sent Asish Banerjee’s body for postmortem as the circumstances surrounding his death are being investigated.

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IPS Officer Nupur Prasad gets Medal for Meritorious Service after Sushant Singh Rajput probe

IPS officer Nupur Prasad, who led the CBI investigation into Sushant Singh Rajput’s death, has been selected for the Medal for Meritorious Service this year.

Published

2 days ago

on

August 15, 2026

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IPS officer Nupur Prasad, who led the CBI investigation into actor Sushant Singh Rajput’s death, has been recognised with the Medal for Meritorious Service (MSM) this year.

A 2007-batch AGMUT cadre officer, Ms Prasad recently returned to the Delhi Police after completing her tenure with the CBI. She is currently serving as Joint Commissioner of Police in the Economic Offences Wing (EOW), where she oversees investigations involving financial and economic crimes.

The award is part of this year’s recognition for police personnel for distinguished and meritorious service. Such honours recognise contributions in areas including investigation, crime prevention, public service, law and order and administration.

Nupur Prasad’s role in Sushant Singh Rajput case

Ms Prasad came into national focus during the CBI investigation into the death of Sushant Singh Rajput, who was found dead at his Mumbai residence on June 14, 2020.

The case was transferred to the CBI in August 2020 following a complaint by the actor’s family and a legal dispute over jurisdiction.

During her tenure with the agency, Ms Prasad supervised key aspects of the investigation, including the examination of witness statements, forensic evidence and medical records.

In 2025, the CBI filed closure reports, saying its investigation found no evidence of foul play, abetment to suicide or criminal conspiracy in the actor’s death.

Career across Delhi Police, CBI

Ms Prasad has served in several positions during her career, including assignments in the Delhi Police, CBI, Arunachal Pradesh and West Bengal.

Before joining the CBI, she held senior positions in the Delhi Police and became the first Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) of Shahdara. During her tenure, she worked on establishing the district’s policing framework following its creation.

She also led operations targeting drug networks and illegal gambling activities while focusing on crime-prevention measures.

Later, as DCP of North Delhi, she oversaw security arrangements for major events, including Independence Day celebrations at the Red Fort and Delhi University elections.

Community-focused policing initiatives

Beyond investigations, Ms Prasad has been associated with community-focused programmes involving women’s self-defence, youth development, cyber safety and drug de-addiction.

During her CBI tenure, she was also associated with several prominent investigations. Media reports have linked her to cases concerning businessman Vijay Mallya and the AgustaWestland helicopter deal.

Current role in Delhi Police

After completing her assignment with the CBI, Ms Prasad returned to the Delhi Police and took charge as Joint Commissioner of Police in the Economic Offences Wing.

The latest recognition adds to her career spanning investigations, policing and public service across several challenging assignments.

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Kharge, Rahul Gandhi skip Independence Day event for 2nd straight year

Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi skipped the 80th Independence Day celebrations at the Red Fort for the second consecutive year.

Published

2 days ago

on

August 15, 2026

By

Rahul Kharge

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi skipped the 80th Independence Day celebrations at Delhi’s Red Fort for the second consecutive year.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi led the Independence Day celebrations at the historic venue on Saturday.

The absence of the two senior Congress leaders comes amid strained relations between the ruling party and the Opposition, which further deteriorated during the Monsoon Session of Parliament that concluded on Thursday.

2024 seating controversy

Rahul Gandhi had attended the Independence Day celebrations in 2024 but his seating arrangement triggered a controversy. The Congress leader, who holds the status of a Cabinet minister as Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, was seated in the second-last row during the ceremony at the Red Fort.

The Opposition had criticised the seating arrangement, calling it an insult to the people. The Defence Ministry, which organised the event, said the arrangement had been modified to accommodate Olympians at the venue.

According to protocol, the Leader of the Opposition is seated in the front row during ceremonial events.

Opposition-ruling party tensions

Relations between the government and the Opposition remained tense during the Monsoon Session, which ended on Thursday.

The session saw repeated clashes between the two sides, with both the Opposition and the ruling party blaming each other for the low productivity of Parliament.

The session began on July 20, with students marching towards Parliament on the first day. Twelve bills were passed during the session, while detailed discussion took place on only one legislation, concerning paper leaks.

The Congress, along with the Trinamool Congress and Samajwadi Party, also boycotted the customary tea party hosted by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla after the House was adjourned sine die.

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