Activist Medha Patkar, who was forcibly hospitalised after a hunger strike to protest raising the Sardar Sarovar dam's height, was out of danger, the All India Institute of Medical Sciences said Thursday.
Patkar had been on a fast at Jantar Mantar since March 29 to protest against raising the height of the Sardar Sarovar dam. Police forcibly admitted her to AIIMS Wednesday night after her condition deteriorated."Patkar's health has improved substantially and she is completely out of danger," said D.K. Sharma, medical superintendent of AIIMS.
"We carried out several tests Thursday morning and all the reports are normal. Her clinical condition like blood pressure and pulse are also normal.
"Though we have kept her in an ICU, she may be discharged within a day or two. An eight-member team of doctors is keeping tabs on her health condition and we have also allowed one of her close associates to be with her for convenience," Sharma told IANS.
An associate of Patkar, Deepti Bhatnagar, also said that the former's condition was now stable. "Patkar spoke to me in the morning and she was sounding better."
She added that more activists from Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra - the affected states - were arriving in the capital to take part in the hunger strike and protest police highhandedness against anti-dam activists.
Eyewitnesses said over 400 policemen had arrived to remove Patkar from the Jantar Mantar site to AIIMS.
"When we tried to resist their taking Patkar away to the hospital, they used force and hit us with batons," said Bhatnagar. She said some protesters had received minor injuries in the process.
The police action followed a cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh after which Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee told reporters that three cabinet ministers would go to the site of the dam to ensure proper rehabilitation of those displaced by it.
"We have decided that more people would take part in the protests and the hunger strike will continue until work on the Sardar Sarovar dam is stopped," said Bhatnagar.
students and professors of Jawaharlal Nehru University have also joined the hunger strike," she said. Kamal Mitra Shenoy, a professor of the varsity, has joined the fast, Bhatnagar added.
Said Shenoy: "The government had thought that they would be able to break the hunger strike by taking Patkar away, but we have replaced her and will continue our struggle."
He added that there would be no compromise till the time all the affected people get their compensation according to Supreme Court's judgement and the work at the Sardar Sarovar dam is stopped till rehabilitation of the affected people was completed.
The activists of Narmada Bachao Andolan (NBA) started their protest after the March 8 decision to increase the height of the dam from 110 metres to 121 metres.
The activists allege the decision violated the Narmada Water Dispute Tribunal Award (NWDTA) and a Supreme Court judgement.
Patkar had been on a fast at Jantar Mantar since March 29 to protest against raising the height of the Sardar Sarovar dam. Police forcibly admitted her to AIIMS Wednesday night after her condition deteriorated."Patkar's health has improved substantially and she is completely out of danger," said D.K. Sharma, medical superintendent of AIIMS.
"We carried out several tests Thursday morning and all the reports are normal. Her clinical condition like blood pressure and pulse are also normal.
"Though we have kept her in an ICU, she may be discharged within a day or two. An eight-member team of doctors is keeping tabs on her health condition and we have also allowed one of her close associates to be with her for convenience," Sharma told IANS.
An associate of Patkar, Deepti Bhatnagar, also said that the former's condition was now stable. "Patkar spoke to me in the morning and she was sounding better."
She added that more activists from Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra - the affected states - were arriving in the capital to take part in the hunger strike and protest police highhandedness against anti-dam activists.
Eyewitnesses said over 400 policemen had arrived to remove Patkar from the Jantar Mantar site to AIIMS.
"When we tried to resist their taking Patkar away to the hospital, they used force and hit us with batons," said Bhatnagar. She said some protesters had received minor injuries in the process.
The police action followed a cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh after which Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee told reporters that three cabinet ministers would go to the site of the dam to ensure proper rehabilitation of those displaced by it.
"We have decided that more people would take part in the protests and the hunger strike will continue until work on the Sardar Sarovar dam is stopped," said Bhatnagar.
students and professors of Jawaharlal Nehru University have also joined the hunger strike," she said. Kamal Mitra Shenoy, a professor of the varsity, has joined the fast, Bhatnagar added.
Said Shenoy: "The government had thought that they would be able to break the hunger strike by taking Patkar away, but we have replaced her and will continue our struggle."
He added that there would be no compromise till the time all the affected people get their compensation according to Supreme Court's judgement and the work at the Sardar Sarovar dam is stopped till rehabilitation of the affected people was completed.
The activists of Narmada Bachao Andolan (NBA) started their protest after the March 8 decision to increase the height of the dam from 110 metres to 121 metres.
The activists allege the decision violated the Narmada Water Dispute Tribunal Award (NWDTA) and a Supreme Court judgement.
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