It started in the 1950's when India's first Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, called dams the "temples of modern India." Dam building was equated with nation-building, and the Narmada Valley Development project, a series of 3000 large and small dams, was initiated.

Proponents say large dams such as the Sardar Sarovar are needed to sustain India's population of over 1 billion.Officials hold that the dam will bring over 24 million people in 3 states water and power. They say that displacing some 500,000 indigenous people is the price India must pay for progress.