Villagers in Himachal’s tribal areas pass resolutions against dam

All villages plan to pass resolutions against hydel projects and send them to the Governor and the President of India.

A day after flash floods damaged two hydel projects in Uttarakhand, villagers in Himachal Pradesh’s tribal region of Kinnaur and Lahaul Spiti passed resolutions opposing hydel projects considering fragile ecology of the region.

Members of the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) during a rescue operation after a broken glacier caused a major river surge that swept away bridges and roads at a tunnel near Tapovan dam in Chamoli district of Uttarakhand on Sunday. (AFP)

Villagers of Gaushal Panchayat in Lahaul-Spiti on Monday vowed not to allow hydropower projects proposed on Chandrabhaga valley. Former head of the Gaushal Panchayat, Megh Singh, said in the valley such as Lahaul, which is most affected in the Himalayan region due to glacier breaches and avalanches, the government has planned as many as 56 hydroelectric projects.

“The fragile ecosystem of Lahul valley would be destroyed if these projects are executed,” he said.

Sushila Rana, head of Gaushal Panchayat, said they will not give no-objection certificate (NOC) to the Satluj Jal Vidyut Nigam-promoted 104-megawatt Tandi Project. A 104-megawatt project is planned at Tandi, the confluence of Chandra and Bhaga which is sacred to the local population. “We will oppose other projects also,” she said.

Vikram Katoch, vice-president of 'Save Lahaul Spiti', a social organisation, said people of Lahaul-Spiti were deeply concerned after what has happened in Uttrakhand and added that more and more people were coming out and opposing dam projects.

“The dam projects require lots of blasting and drilling of hills and constructing tunnels under the mountains. The neighbouring Kinnaur district has seen enough destruction where a number of projects are being constructed,” he said.

All villages plan to pass resolutions against hydel projects and send them to the Governor and the President of India, he added.

Himachal Pradesh has a potential of tapping 27,400 MW of electricity by damming its rivers, of which only 10,519 MW has been generated so far.