§ Mrs. ClwydTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) what information he has concerning the size of opposition to the displacement of people and flooding of land as part of the World bank Narmada dam project in India;
(2) if he will make it his policy to instruct the United Kingdom's World bank executive director to support the proposal of local non-governmental organisations to 570W institute an independent commission to investigate the Narmada dam project in India and to halt construction pending its findings;
(3) if he is satisfied that the environmental and social conditions drawn up by the World bank and the Government of India for the Narmada dam project will be met by the 30 June deadline; and whether he will make it his policy to refuse to extend United Kingdom support for the project if the deadline is not met.
§ Mrs. ChalkerI am not in a position to gauge the size of the opposition to the Sardar Sarovar dam project. At our suggestion and that of other donors the World Bank and the Indian authorities have agreed to appoint an independent team to assess the resettlement and environment aspects. So far as I am aware, the Indian authorities do not intend to halt construction during this review, if it goes ahead.
The deadline of 30 June applies to a related water delivery and drainage project, the future of which is under review by the World bank.