New Delhi, April 13: The government is gearing up to tackle an inevitable clash in the Narmada Control Authority meeting on Saturday, as the BJP slammed its decision to review the increase in the Sardar Sarovar Dam’s height.

The NCA’s review committee is headed by the Union water resources minister and includes the chief ministers of Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Gujarat and Maharashtra as well as the Union environment minister.

The ratio of warring political parties is 3:3 with the two Union ministers and the Maharashtra chief minister on one side and the chief ministers of the BJP-ruled states on the other.

“Rehabilitation and development should co-exist. But we warn the government against any move to stop construction of the additional metres at the dam site,” BJP general secretary Arun Jaitley said today.

As a way out, the Centre is considering a proposal to let the construction continue but stop the release of the additional volume of water till rehabilitation of the displaced is over.

The Narmada Bachao Andolan, which is protesting the increase in dam height from the earlier 110.64 metres to 121.92 metres, says 35,000 families are yet to be rehabilitated.

But the fasting protesters will be happy with nothing short of a halt to the construction and described the plan to withhold water release as “totally foolish”. They held a candlelight vigil at Jantar Mantar this evening while their leader Medha Patkar continued her fast in hospital.

The Supreme Court has said the NCA review committee should take decisions either by vote or by consensus. As chairman, the water resources minister has two votes in case of a deadlock, government sources said. “I don’t see what the problem is. We have four votes against their three,” a source said.

Even if there is a deadlock, the matter would go to the Prime Minister. “The PM is the final authority,” the source said.

Gujarat team

A team from Gujarat, where all parties are united about the need for an increase in the dam’s height, will meet the Prime Minister tomorrow. State Congress chief Bharat Solanki, who will be part of the team, said Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi had sought the review meeting but could not explain why.