The ‘Narmada Bachao Andolan’ will be recognised in the history of protests and movements in response to climate change.
Medha Patkar, India’s most recognised environmentalist, started the campaign. The Narmada Bachao Andolan (NBA) was an Indian public movement that impacted environmentalism and climate change claims for the future.
Medha Patkar was the driving force behind the enormous marches and protests against the construction of the Sardar Sarovar Dam, which would displace thousands of tribal people and destroy vast areas of forest and farming.
Medha Patkar was the Narmada Bachao Andolan’s chief spokesman, and she played an active and critical role in raising environmental and sustainability issues. We present a perspective on Medha Patkar, the central figure of the Narmada Bachao Andolan and India’s most well-known social and environmental campaigner.
Medha Patkar is an Indian social activist who has worked on a variety of topics, including river and forest conservation. She is also a founding member of the historic movement ‘Narmada Bachao Andolan,’ which fought for justice for those impacted by dam projects on the Narmada river, such as the Sardar Sarovar dam project.
She expressed her concern about the residences that were demolished as a result of the project but had not been repaired.
Medha Patkar was a key organizer of nonviolent protests and marches to halt the building of huge dam projects. As an environmentalist and ardent supporter of sustainability, she advocated not only for people’s lives but also for the exploitation of the environment.
The big dam project would not only damage the beauty of the lush forest and broad expanse of farmland, but it would also cause massive pollution, harming the ecosystem.
The mass movement, which began in 1985, was a huge social transformation that included Adivasis, human rights activists, environmental activists, educators, and artists in the Narmada valley who advocated for sustainable development. Many social activists and environmentalists joined the Narmada Bachao Andolan to protest the development of dams along the Narmada river, which runs through Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, and Maharashtra. The Sardar Sarovar dam in Gujarat is the largest dam on the river and the movement’s focal point.
For years, the subject of environmental sustainability has been a headline, and it has repeatedly reminded the human population that climate change is a catastrophe, and that actions must be taken to preserve the forest and ecosystems. It also urged people to participate in forestry efforts, plant tree seedlings, and follow the three RRRs – Recycle, Reuse, and Reduce. Medha Patkar not only assisted displaced people in fighting for their rights, but she also continues to develop content solutions for the ecological cycle.
Medha Patkar played a critical role in defending the environment from dam development projects. She has served as a role model for many campaigners fighting the root causes of the climate issue. The human population’s greed has no bounds, and the moment has come to defend our environment.
Medha Patkar has voiced concerns and continues to advocate for long-term development. She is a well-known environmentalist in the country. Medha Patkar is the founder of the National Alliance of People’s Movements (NAPM), an alliance of progressive people groups, along the way. She was also a member of the World Commission on Dams, which conducts extensive study on environmental and socioeconomic concerns. Medha Patkar and Baba Amte were the prominent spokespersons for the Narmada Bachao Andolan, which got the Right Livelihood Award in 1991
