Displaced to make room for Pong Dam, families in Kangra dread another search for new home

Residents from across the 14 affected villages in Kangra have vehemently opposed the government’s plans for the Gaggal airport expansion, resorting to multiple protests

For 71-year-old Fakir Chand, the proposed displacement by the airport expansion feels like a haunting echo of the past, reminiscent of the time when his parents were uprooted in 1972 due to the construction of the Pong dam.

Among the families facing displacement are many that were previously relocated in 1970s due to the construction of Pong Dam. (HT Photo)

“I was in my early 20s when our family left our ancestral home. We settled here in Ichhi village, with my father taking loans to build our house. Despite our limited resources, we painstakingly constructed everything here over the years. And now, we find ourselves facing yet another displacement as the government plans to expand the Gaggal airport,” he lamented.

His family is among the 1,500 households set to be affected by the impending land acquisition, spanning across 14 villages, for the proposed expansion of Kangra airport by the Himachal government. Among these households are many that were previously displaced in the early 1970s due to the construction of the Pong Dam.

These families, having already experienced the toll of displacement, find themselves confronted with the prospect of relocation once again due to the proposed airport expansion. Their sense of disturbance and apprehension about the future, especially concerning the well-being of their children, is palpable.

“If we are displaced, we have to build everything again which is going to add difficulties to our family,” Fakir Chand said.

The uncertainty surrounding the government’s plans for resettlement and rehabilitation only adds to their anxieties. The construction of Pong Dam which started in 1961 displacing 20,722 families and 1.5 lakh population.

Rajeev Kumar, 42, who runs a tea-stall in Ichhi village and a descendant of Pong oustees, expressed grave concerns about their precarious financial situation and the impending displacement. “I was not even born when my family was displaced and settled here. Our prospects appear increasingly grim. Leaving this place and starting anew elsewhere would be incredibly challenging for us. The government must offer us fair compensation, considering our current circumstances,” he said.

Locals oppose move

Locals across the 14 affected villages have vehemently opposed the government’s plans for airport expansion, resorting to multiple protests. Earlier this month, the Kangra administration conducted public hearings in these villages, where residents, including village leaders, expressed discontent over the proposed expansion and questioned the adequacy of the compensation offered by the state government.

Ratnesh Chaudhary, 73, also a Pong oustee, questioned the government’s proposal to compensate them with a mere six marla of land. “We stand to lose not just our homes but also our agricultural land. We have endured lifelong struggles, only to find ourselves in a similar plight once again,” he said.

Hansraj Chaudhary, a member of the Gaggal Airport Expansion Affected Society Welfare Committee and another descendant of Pong oustees, reflected on the painful echoes of the past displacement.

“I had to abandon my education when our family was uprooted. I was given a compensation of ₹3,500 only at the time. The piece of land I was given in Rajasthan by the government was not cultivable and I am still fighting over that. Over the decades, we have built our lives amidst hardship and adversity, only to face yet another upheaval. Many families from that time were never adequately compensated by the government,” he said.

The committee members had voiced concerns regarding the suitability of the land slated for acquisition for the airport expansion and the process followed for the social impact assessment (SIA) survey that was carried out in February last year. They had also raised objections against the techno-economic feasibility of the proposed airport expansion.

Meanwhile, the meeting scheduled to discuss the matter with the representatives of various panchayats on Monday was postponed.

Last month, the Supreme Court put in abeyance a Himachal high court order (HC) that stayed the Gaggal airport expansion project in Kangra district. The HC had on January 9 stayed the project following a civil writ petition by members of the welfare committee. However, residents recently filed a reply to the special leave petitions filed by the state government in SC.