No matter that the rally is not even supposed to pass through the Kevadia Colony, or that the Sardar Sarovar Project dam site is a prohibited area where no one may tread without permission.

According to Intelligence sources, the State government apprehends activists of the Narmada Bachao Andolan or anti-dam supporters will sneak into the district -- NBA leaders apparently managed to do that during the Ferkuva agitation in the early part of the decade -- and whip up support.

Maintaining that this was a law-and-order measure, highly placed police officials of the Narmada district say they do not rule out demonstrations by the local units of the Congress and the BJP or a counter-protest by pro-dam activists.

NBA representatives, however, scoff at the authorities' claim of an ``alert''. ``If Section 144 was imposed just around the dam site, it could be justified'', says Shripad Dharmadhikari of the NBA. Moreover, they allege, journalists visiting the original villages near the Kevadia Colony had been questioned and detained.

Narmada District Superintendent of Police Raju Bhargav, however, claims that a journalists' team was stopped just once for checking of their credentials.

``Even if slogans are raised, that is the democratic way (of doing things), says Dharmadhikari, asking why the government did not impose prohibitory orders when copies of Roy's The Greater Common Good were being burnt.

``How can the government prevent people from going to villages?'', he asks, alleging that only a few days ago, BJP workers staged demonstrations at Gora Colony, near Kevadia, in protest against anti-dam activities. ``This is hypocrisy'', he adds.

Asked if Section 144 was not suppressing the anti-dam movement, Narmada's Resident District Collector N K Damor says, ``I don't think so. But I may not be the best person to answer this question.''

Asked if the NBA planned to take up the issue before the Supreme Court, Dharmadhikari says there have been no decisions on that as yet.